Celebrate The Fens Day

Fascinating Fens are excited to announce the “Celebrate The Fens” Day, will be returning on 17th June 2023 (for the whole weekend 16th-18th).

There will be a mixture of actual and virtual events taking place, how will you get involved and celebrate?

Celebrate the fens day aims:

To have a massive celebration that brings communities together throughout all parts of the fens
To showcase to all, the unique landscapes, townscapes, heritage, nature and beauty of the fens through events and activities on the day/weekend
To encourage the values of promoting and exploring the fens through heritage, creativity, nature, wellbeing and accessibility

Celebrate The Fens Day 2023

Join us to enjoy The Fens on Celebrate the fens day 17th June 2023, or even for the whole weekend. There are loads of ways to get involved by putting on your own event or joining ones already being organised.

Don’t forget to use our hashtag on social media #CelebrateTheFens

2023 Events and activities:

A huge thank you to all organisations, individuals, charities, and groups getting involved by providing a variety of fentastic events and activities all over the fens, including heritage open days, guided walks/tours, craft activities, exhibitions, nature trails, music, films, poetry, talks and competitions. See our growing list below, which will continuously be updated and more details for the events will be released soon:

Fascinating Fens Events/activities for Celebrate The Fens weekend:

Fen Folks Friday: Celebrate The Fens launch evening

A free zoom talk, Friday 16th June, 7.30-9.30pm, please book in advance. Talking all things to Celebrate the fens, with poetry and special guests…

The Fens Calendar competition 2023:

Calling fen folk who love taking photos. Join in with our free fen calendar competition which launches on Celebrate the fens day, more details

“Colour me in” fen bunting:*

Download and print free paper bunting featuring the fen flag, Celebrate the fens logo, and Fascinating fen tails. More details…

Explore the Fens with activities, tours and open days for Celebrate the Fens weekend:

Crowland Abbey Open Day:

Saturday 17th June, 10am – 4pm, Free open day at Crowland Abbey, exploring the Abbey with tours, bell ringing and trails. More details…

St Germans Pumping Station:

Saturday 17th June, 11am – 12pm and 1pm-2pm, a guided tour of the pumping station, please book in advance. More details…

Fen Edge Trail walking tour:

Saturday 17th June, 10.30am-1pm. Join the Cambs Geological Society for their new trail: Cambridge – ‘through the fen edge town that became one of the world’s most famous cities’. More details.…

Chatteris Little Acre Pocket Park Nature Open Day:

Saturday 17th June, 10am – 4pm. A lovely free nature walking tours exploring Chatteris’s Little Acre. Please pre-book. More details…

Spalding Gentlemen’s Society Open Day:

Friday 16th and Saturday 17th June, 10am – 4pm. Visit the museum, explore the exhibitions, talk to guides, More details …

New Life Old West:

Saturday 17th June, 11-4, Fenland Natural Heroes (and Villains!) will be performing at Emmaus, Landbeach.

Sunday 18th June, 7-8pm. A virtual talk : The Old West and the Ancient Eastern Border. More details…

Kings Lynn guided River Walk:

Saturday 17th June, 10am, join the town guides for a guided historic river walk along the River Great Ouse. More details.

The Great Fen Nature Guided Walk:

Sunday 18th June, 10.30am – 12.30pm. Join a wonderful walking nature tour around the Great Fen. More details.

Boston Ramblers Market Deeping Ramble:

Sunday 18th June 10.30am-3pm. Join Boston Ramblers for a ramble around Market Deeping, More details…

Transported Community Arts:

Join Transported for its free community arts projects such as Willow weaving in Spalding, Saturday 17th June 2023, 10am – 4pm, more details…

Hereward the Wake Trail:

Join Hereward the Wake as he follows the trail from Ramsey to Thorney to Crowland. Saturday 17th June 2023, 10am -2pm. More details…

Boston Stump Garden Family Fun Day:

Join in at the Boston Stump Community Gardens on Saturday 17th, 10am -2pm for their Family Fun day, including nature crafts. More details…

Octavia Hill Birthplace Wisbech Pop up art exhibition:

Visit our “Celebrate The Fens” Pop up art and photo exhibition at Octavia Hill Birthplace, Wisbech. More details…

Discover Downham activities:

Saturday 17th June 10-1. Visit Discover Downham in Downham Market for their heritage centre and exhibition about the railway, more details…

March Society Guided walk:

Saturday 17th June, 2.30pm, join the March Society for a guided heritage walk. Please book in advance as per info above.

Whittlesey Big Bash:

Sunday 18th June, 11am-6.30pm, please see info in poster above.

Ely Arts Festival:

Saturday 17th June, 10am -3pm, Ely Market place, music, Pop up and community mural, please see Ely Arts Festival website for more info.

Spot/Wave the Fenland Flag:

Keep a look out for Fen Flags flying this weekend. Maybe even fly your own (see shop page for where you can get one). Where’s the strangest place, you can spot a Fen Flag? Share your photos on social media.

Cambridgeshire Libraries:

Cambridgeshire libraries will be sharing their Fen Flag bunting display and books inspired by the fens, Wisbech Library will be part of this (Fri 9.30am – 5pm, Sat 9.30am – 4pm).

Lincolnshire Libraries:

Come and see exhibitions of Historical photos at Spalding (Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm) Library and landscape photos at Boston Library (Fri 9-5, sat 9-4).

Join in from your home with virtual tours, videos and activities:

Wisbech Tunnels virtual tour:

In 2021, Wisbech tunnels have been created in a virtual tour. Explore more here.

Farmland Voices Website:

A great website, a must for all Fen lovers, farming oral histories, poetry, films and fen facts. More info here…

Wisbech ArtSpace Minecraft Virtual Art Trail:

If you love the virtual world, take a look at Wisbech from a different perspective. Take a look at various artwork designed/made by local people. The work includes: poems, sculptures, painting and much more. explore more here.

South Holland (Lincolnshire) self guided walks:

Available from South Holland council website include Spalding, Holbeach, Long Sutton, Pinchbeck and Gedney.

Celebrate The Fens Activities:

Wisbech Museum: Butterfly crafts

Wisbech museum have 2 great Butterfly craft videos based on their butterfly collection. Find out more

Art in the Fens:

Kaitlin Ferguson invites you to create artwork inspired by walking in the fens. Find out more.

Keep an eye/ear out for:

Fascinating Fens June 2023 Newsletter:

See the latest copy of our newsletter, or sign up for a our free quarterly copy, for local news about the fens.

Music from Penland Phezants and Phezants Tale:

Check out their link to hear some great Fen inspired songs

Celebrate The Fens in the Papers:

Thanks to the following newspapers/ magazines:

Wisbech Citizen
Spalding Today
Ely I

Video clips: Fen Coddiwompler:

View delightful video clips as the Fen Coddiwompler explore the fens.

Video clips: Farmer Luke:

View interesting videos about fen farming for children (also interesting to help adults learn).

Fenland On Film:

View interesting videos about the Fens.

Do your own activity on Celebrate the Fens day:

If you are doing your own event or activity it must feature the fens, examples can be having a picnic in the fens, go camping, rambling, blog about your favourite fen place, do a self-tour of a local town, put photos on social media, visit a local nature reserve, meet friends to share memories of the fens, paint outside or download our free activity sheets from our website (puzzles, quizzes, craft). Please also feel free to use the #CelebrateTheFens, on the day. Please do your activity safely and within current covid restrictions.

Explore the Fens on Celebrate the Fens day…

The photos in the virtual gallery below suggest examples of an itinerary for the Celebrate the fens day or activities that you may wish to do as part of the celebration:

Virtual gallery…

How to put on a event or activity:

Fascinating Fens believes in bringing people together to explore and promote the Fens through “Heritage”, “Creativity”, “Nature”, “Wellbeing” and “Accessibility”. We would ask that you try to incorporate at least one of these themes in your event/activity. If you would like to arrange a community event, please email us for a discussion first and a registration form. For more details of arranging an event