Compiled by Sophie Gallagher
Broadstairs Easter Food Festival
The food festival is returning to Broadstairs for the Easter weekend. From 7th April – 9th April with some 100 stalls. There will be a large range of different foods on offer that will cater to many dietary needs, including some meat free and dairy free stalls. As well as hot food and independent producers with goods including bread, pickles and wines, there will be live music playing at Broadstairs bandstand.
New for 2023 is hands on cookery led by The Chequers Kitchen, Deal (Friday 7 April), chocolate making workshops (Saturday 8 April) and making Easter crowns (Sunday 9 April).
This year’s Prize Draw is raising funds to support the festival’s children’s activities and to bring local musicians to the bandstand.
For £2 you could be in with a chance of winning £500 Flint and Flame stainless steel kitchenware – or a stay at The Royal Albion Hotel.
https://www.broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/
Victoria Gardens from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th April, gates open at 10am closing at 6pm on Friday and Saturday, 5pm Sunday. Entry is free with ‘Pop a Pound’ buckets for people to donate if they wish.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Performance – Hall by the Sea
One of the world’s most popular classic musicals is being performed in Margate this Easter. Thanet’s Regency Productions will be taking to the stage at Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea.
Performances
6th April 7PM
7th April 7PM
8th April 2PM and 7PM
9th April 2PM and 7PM
Ticket prices begin from £21 plus booking fee.
https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/chitty-chitty-bang-bang/
Ramsgate’s Easter Handmade and Vintage Fair
This Easter Sunday (9th April) the Handmade and Vintage Fair takes place in Ramsgate with locally produced items on offer. The stalls will be set up along Ramsgate Harbour.
Crampton Tower Museum
Crampton Tower Museum in Broadstairs reopens on Good Friday, 7th April, until Sunday, 29th October.
The museum is partly housed in a flint tower adjacent to the Broadstairs Railway Station. The tower formed part of the first Broadstairs public water supply and designed by Thomas Russell Crampton, chiefly remembered as a designer of locomotives and of railways.
The museum will open Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons plus Bank Holiday Mondays, from 2pm to 4.30pm. Last admission 4pm. Admission charges apply.
Palace Cinema pop up at the Tom Thumb Theatre
Sunday 2 April
A rare opportunity to see Last Resort (2000), the first feature from future Oscar winner Pawel Pawlikowski starring Paddy Considine and Dina Korzun as a local and a refugee brought together by chance and bureaucracy in ‘Stonehaven’ (Margate).
The screening kicks off with a 1970 Margate publicity film. The Tom Thumb bar is open before and after
LAST RESORT (15)
6.30pm-8pm
Tom Thumb Theatre, Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville
This event is part of MAGIC HOURS, the Palace’s celebration of the cinemas and films of Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate supported by the National Lottery through the BFI Film Audience Network and with Screen Archive South East.
Dickens House Museum
The Dickens House Museum is reopening this Easter holidays! The home that is believed to be Charles Dickens’s inspiration for Betsey Trotwood’s cottage in novel David Copperfield, is reopening on 7th April. It will then be open every week from Wednesday – Sunday until 16th July.
The museum holds many items owned by Charles Dickens himself (including letters once written about Broadstairs) The museum is run by volunteers who know a lot about Charles Dickens life and are keen to share their knowledge. They also give tours around the museum providing information on the history of the household and the connection that Dickens had to it. The museum welcomes families and is wheelchair accessible on the ground floor.
Entry prices: Adult – £4, Child – £2, Family (2 adults and 2 children) – £10, Concession – £3
Ramsgate Micro Museum
The micro museum in Ramsgate’s Church Hill reopens at weekend, Bank Holidays and school holidays on April 8.
The Micro Museum is home to Mike and Carol Deer’s unique, personal collection of hundreds of vintage personal computers, calculators, games and micro electronics, collected over more than 4 decades.
At the heart of the collection are displays of computers, games consoles and more from the 1970s and 80s, that important period when rapid technological developments brought computers into our daily lives.
Opening hours are 1pm-4pm and admission is £5 per person, or group/family £15.
11 Church Hill
Ramsgate
Details at https://www.themicromuseum.org/
Thanet Gang Show
Thanet Scouts and Guides present the Thanet Gang Show at The Centre in Birchington on April 6/7/8 at 7.30pm plus a 2.30pm showing also on April 8.
Fun for all ages with singing, dancing and sketches.
Tickets from £7.50 plus booking fee
Tickets from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/thanet-gang-show
The Bouncing Bunnies Easter Trail
Quex Park in Birchington welcomes families to visit this Easter holidays. Last year their Easter trail was deemed successful so it is returning. Children can attend from £16.50 and adults at £6.00. It is a fun outdoor Easter event with Easter characters to meet and sweet treats along the way.
Tickets include an Easter Egg, Easter Treat, Bunny Ears and access to Quex Adventure Farm Park Facilities (weather dependant)
Quex also offers fun activities including an 18-hole crazy golf course containing ponds, waterfalls and bridges and an adventure farm park aimed at youngsters to enjoy playing outdoors.
https://quexactivitycentre.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
Margate Caves 160th anniversary
April 2 marks 160 years since the Margate Caves first opened to the public. To commemorate the anniversary there will be a celebration of achievements big and small – from the 160 years of Cave history to those personal mini-wins that get you through the day.
There’ll be templates available from the Caves to create your very own Chalk Up poster to display in your window, or on your fridge – and share your achievement on #chalkupmargate. Submissions will be shared through the Margate Caves accounts too – look out for your very own Chalk Up shout out!
Every day the Caves will be chalking up what makes you proud on its chalkboard as well as hosting workshops with award-winning printmaker and owner of The Edwards Press, Dawn Cole. Workshops will be on Tuesdays 4th and 11th April, 11am to 2pm. Messy Mondays on 3rd and 10th April will see the Community Rooms exploding with a whole range of crafts for just £1 per child.
Plus, there will be a Chalk Up! trail celebrating the history of the Caves.
Children can visit for free, when accompanied by a paying adult, on 1st and 2nd April.
Open daily 29th March to 16th April
10.00am to 5.00pm Last admission 4.30pm.
Open 7 days a week for school holidays and open on Bank Holiday Mondays.
Adult £4.50
Child (4 – 16 yrs) £2
Concession £4
Family £10
1 Northdown Rd
https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/
Ramsgate Tunnels
Overground-Underground Tours at Ramsgate Tunnelsare back, starting Easter Saturday – 8th April.
The tour traces the route of the Tunnels above ground from the harbour to Arklow Square. Leaving from the Sailors Church, Tunnel guides point out hidden entrances and features of interest along the way, before descending via a short ladder into the newly cleared entrance at Arklow Square, and finishing the walk below ground in the Tunnels.
Tour starts from the Sailors’ Church at 11:30am and finishes at the entrance to Ramsgate Tunnels, Marina Esplanade at around 2pm.
The tour lasts approximately 2.5 hours.
The tour is only suitable for those aged 12 and above. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets, £12, and details: https://ramsgatetunnels.merlintickets.co.uk/product/E000025
Garden Gate Spring Open Day
Spring Open Day on Saturday 1st April from 1-4pm, serving teas and cakes, pizzas and soup, along with a plant stall and a variety of craftwork made by the team.
The Garden Gate Project is based at Northdown Park, Margate.
Vintage clothing sale
A day of bargains and vintage delights is promised at the Sarah Thorne Theatre Broadstairs / Hilderstone from 11am-5pm on Saturday, April 15.
Expect thousands of discounted vintage clothes, as well as shoes and accessories. Clothing prices start from as little as £1,with £1, £3 and £5 clothes and shoes, plus individually priced items.
Clothing varies from the 1960s all the way up to the early 2000s, with lots of 90s and Y2K pieces. Support sustainable fashion helping to battle the cost of living crisis There will also be lots of vintage goth, punk and alternative clothing. Sizes from XXS-XXXL.
Complimentary glass of wine on arrival- this will be on a first come first serve basis.
Food and refreshments will also be available.
If you would like to take part and have your own stall, please contact [email protected] – £10 per vendor
Find the event page at https://fb.me/e/Phjrt7l3
Joss Bay Surf School
Joss Bay surf school offers lessons in surfing and stand up paddle boarding. They offer group lessons and private lessons with beginners welcome. You could even hire their paddle boards and surf boards for the day. All ages are welcome. Prices depend on private or group sessions and ability.
Lillyputt Minigolf Broadstairs
The minigolf site opens on April 1 for the official start of the season.
Open daily from 10am with the last game starting at 4.30pm (weather permitting).
The Garden Cafe on site will also be offering a full menu from freshly ground coffee and specialty teas, toasted tea cakes, savoury toasties, sandwiches and sweet and savoury crepes.
Adults £6, under 10 £4.80
Victoria Parade, Broadstairs.
Dreamland
On Easter Sunday (April 9) Dreamland will hold a free egg hunt with eggs hidden around the park for guests to find and one very golden egg. Find the golden egg and hand it in to win a Dreamland Day Out for up to six people!
Gates open 10:30am, Rides open 11am with park closing at 6pm
Visitors can enjoy rides and amusements, street food and a free family film screening too.
Free to enter, pay per ride.
Easter Fun Day
April 2, 11am-4pm, Ellington Park, Ramsgate – This has been moved to the Sunday
Easter egg hunt, colouring competitions, Easter treats and more!
The Great Egg Hunt! The Easter Bunny has been so fast running around, he’s lost the buttons from his jacket and they’re hidden in the park. Can you find them? If you do, you can exchange them for a chocolate egg. (Dairy Free options)
There will also be Easter themed colouring pages and activity sheets to enjoy. There will be a prize for the most colourful Easter pictures. And don’t forget your Easter bonnets, as we will be checking them all out and the best one will win a prize!
This is a free entry event, however to participate in The Great Easter Hunt, you will be required to purchase a ticket for £2 per child. These will be available to purchase from the café.
Free entry
£2 to enter The Great Easter Hunt
Westgate Garage Sale Safari
The Westgate safari returns with residents selling everything from books and clothes to plants and collectibles.
It takes place on Sunday, April 2 from 9am to noon.
Great Eggcase & Scavenger Hunt Margate
April 4, Margate Main Sands
A scavenger hunt for clues of different marine life and shark egg cases
Meet: Margate Main Sands (Start: Nr Nayland Rock Shelter) 2pm-3.30pm
Join the scavenge for clues of different marine life and looking out for shark and ray egg cases
All equipment is provided by the Thanet Coast Project.
You will need to wear suitable clothing for the beach , sand art and the weather conditions on the day. Each event will last for 1.5 hours . These events are suitable for families and especially children aged 4-11, Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout.
The event is free, donations welcome (suggest £2 per adult & child present) Book now
Great Eggcase & Scavenger Hunt Broadstairs
April 5, Viking Bay
A scavenger hunt for clues of different marine life and shark egg cases
Meet: outside old Broadstairs Harbour Master Office (opp. Tartar Frigate pub) at 2pm
Join the scavenge for clues of different marine life and looking out for shark and ray egg cases
All equipment is provided by the Thanet Coast Project. Book now
Great Eggcase & Scavenger Hunt Ramsgate
April 6, Ramsgate main sands
A scavenger hunt for clues of different marine life and shark egg cases
Meet: By the ‘Needle’ or Obelisk (outside Wetherspoons) at 2pm
Join the scavenge for clues of different marine life and looking out for shark and ray egg cases
All equipment is provided by the Thanet Coast Project. Book now
Monkton Nature Reserve
Easter Adventures (April 4,6,11 &13)
This Easter children can take on the ‘bird’s nest challenge’, create special habitats, design suncatchers, make self-watering planters, discover the beauty of bluebells and go on a magical walk with the Warden.
There’s also lunch to prepare, cooked over a fire with the Wild Classroom.
In addition to the splendid reserve, there’s a café, gift shop and book shop to enjoy.
Tuesday 4th April
11am Bluebells, the Fairies’ Thimbles (Members) £3
11am Bluebells, the Fairies’ Thimbles (Non-Members) £5
1pm Dino Jar Land (Members) £3
1pm Dino Jar Land (Non-Members) £5
Thursday 6th April
11am Handprint Lilies, Springtime Bouquets (Members) £3
11am Handprint Lilies, Springtime Bouquets (Non-Members) £5
11.30am Wild Classroom (Members) £12.50
11.30am Wild Classroom (Non-Members) £15
1pm Bird’s Nest Challenge (Members) £3
1pm Bird’s Nest Challenge (Non-Members) £5
Tuesday 11th April
11am Spring Suncatchers (Members) £3
11am Spring Suncatchers (Non-Members) £5
1pm Plastic Bottle Planters (Members) £3
1pm Plastic Bottle Planters (Non-Members) £5
Thursday 13th April
11am Fairy Jar Land (Members) £3
11am Fairy Jar Land (Non-Members) £5
1.30pm Magic at Monkton – Walk with the Warden
Hornby Visitor Centre
Make ‘n’ Paint
Come along and build a Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc.
Cost: £5 per person
Date: Thursday 6th April 2023 and Wednesday 12th April.
Time: 10:30am – 2.30pm (no need to book)
Kids go free into the museum – Sunday 16th April.
Royal British Legion Minster & Monkton Easter craft day
The RBL Easter craft afternoon takes place on Monday, April 3 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Price is £5 per child, drink and biscuits included
Royal British Legion Minster & Monkton Easter Fun
Sunday, April 9 from 1pm.
Magician from Britain’s Got Talent, family Easter party, face painting, disco, egg hunt & bonnet competition, barbecue, gaming bus, raffle and more plus a visit from the Easter bunny.
Non members welcome
The club is at 61 Augustine Road, Minster
Easter Beer Festival
April 7-8
21 Breweries to celebrate 21 years of brewing at Gadd’s The Ramsgate Brewery, Pysons Industrial Estate
Friday 7th 12noon-5pm
Gaddzukes 2pm-4pm
Food by Urban Grillaz
Saturday 8th 12noon-5pm
Dead Horse & The Broomdashers 12noon-2pm
Gaddzukes 2pm-4pm
Food by Karara
Meet Benji Bunny & Joey
April 7-9, Westwood Cross
Meet Benji and Joey at Westwood Cross between 2pm and 5pm
Hop on down to Westwood Cross over the Easter weekend for an afternoon of fun with Benji Bunny and his friend Joey.
Join Benji and Joey at the pop-up park near our Community Hub between 7th and 9th April for some extra Easter fun during your visit and delicious chocolate Easter egg giveaways!
One lucky visitor will also get the chance to win an Easter Gift Bundle worth £50 when you share a snap of yourself with Benji Bunny.
Just head over to the centre’s Facebook Page between 7 and 10 April and enter via the Easter Competition Post
Spring into the Museum
April 7-10, Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex Park, Borchington
Open 11am-4pm
Get crafty designing your own bug magnet or get competitive playing bug-bingo and memory-match ‘bug’ edition.
Can you find the naughty gem bugs in the museum? Some of them went exploring and got lost!
Take a closer look at some of the historic trees in Quex Gardens by adventuring on your own Family Tree Walk. For younger guests, use your scavenger wheel to forage for spring colours and smells.
Pick up one of the free animal-buddy backpacks full of activities and games to enjoy all day!
Extra £1 charge per magnet craft. All other activities are included in your standard admission ticket.
Adult £3.50
Child £2.50
Concession £3
Up to & including 3 years / Carer/ Powell-Cotton Member FREE Book now
Vintage Fashion Fair
April 15, 10am to 5pm
After a successful debut at the Margate Caves last Autumn, they are now going back in time and focusing on vintage fashion!
Shop an array of fabulous vintage fashion in the Caves’ community rooms.
Treasures all the way from the 1930s through to Y2K.
Changing room on site, plus café
Free entry
If you would like apply for a stall email- [email protected]
Neptune’s Choir fundraising concert for Thanet charity Off The Floor
The choir was launched in April 2021 and meets on Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm at The United Reform Church, Broadstairs.
Neptunes Choir has performed at The Winter Gardens, POW, Ramsgate Festival of Sound and even Heaven! They perform a mixture of contemporary arrangements and new writing.
Thanet has a high population of low income families and the Off The Floor scheme by the Thanet Iceberg Project makes and specifically provides beds for local children in need, to ensure that ‘all children have a place to dream’.
The fundraising concert takes place on Friday, 31st March, 7.30 pm, at St. Georges Church, Church Hill, Ramsgate
Tickets are £10 plus booking fee and are available via : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neptunes-choir-with-charles-watson-tickets-540926294107
Discovery Planet
Discovery Planet in Ramsgate will be holding a free drop-in activity on April 1 called Future Human.
Led by the University of Kent’s Future Human research group, people will be invited to explore their imaginations to guess what human beings will look like in the future, and create their own future human being.
Sessions will take place between 10am and noon and 1pm and 3pm, at Discovery Planet HQ, 47 High Street, Ramsgate. There is no charge and no need to book – just show up!
Have a go and Easter Egg Hunt
April 6, 1pm-4pm Thanet Archery Club Official
Try out archery and then join the egg hunt
Egg hunt £3 per child and archery arrows £1 for 6
Based at Manston airport
https://www.thanetarchery.club/
Easter Peggle Hunt
April 7-8, Northdown Road shops and Margate Old Town
An Easter Egg hunt with a difference. Keep an eye out for pebbles painted as Easter eggs in an around Northdown Road shops and the Old Town.
When you find a pebble take it to the shop named on the back and claim your prize.
Cliftonville Night Market and concert: Ska-Per
April 7, 5pm-9pm, Oval bandstand and lawns
The Oval comes to life each summer with street food, music, vintage, arts & crafts, and artisanal goods at the Cliftonville Night Market.
The always popular Oval Bar will be serving up alcoholic drinks and cocktails and The Oval Kiosk has freshly-ground barista coffee, speciality teas, and delicious Solley’s ice-cream.
You’ll be able to buy unique goods from local makers and pick up a range of tasty dishes from Kentish food stalls while taking a seat in the bandstand amphitheatre to enjoy some free live music and entertainment, making this the perfect spot for a family-friendly Friday night out!
-FREE ENTRY to the bandstand amphitheatre (limited capacity)
-Doors, toilets and concessions open: 5pm – 9pm
-Concert: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
-Well behaved dogs are welcome, but they MUST be kept on a lead at all times whilst in the bandstand auditorium.
-All children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Event page with ticket link at https://www.facebook.com/events/1540666696425911/
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