Scarborough Streets

Scarborough Streets returns to the town centre on 10 and 11 October, bringing free street entertainment across Aberdeen Walk, Westborough, Bar Street, Huntriss Row and the local gardens. It's an autumn edition of the festival, and the mix is a broad one: magic, comedy, music, dance and circus, all out in the open for anyone to stop and watch.

The format is built around walkabout acts that roam the streets, popping up to surprise shoppers and people passing through. On Saturday afternoon, that shifts into a community parade that marches through town down Westborough and Newborough, eventually finishing in Crescent Gardens. It's a town-centre festival in the truest sense, with the acts coming to you rather than you having to find a specific stage.

Behind it are local organisers, including Catherine Goble, who put this on specifically for local residents and outside the traditional summer holiday peak. The idea is to bring professional street entertainers together with local community groups, extending the town's event season and boosting footfall for businesses during the quieter autumn months. It's delivered by The Scarborough Fair and North Yorkshire Council, with support from the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The programme draws on the town's heritage and the local community, and there are free drop-in family workshops inspired by the Scarborough 400 anniversary, led by local workshop leaders Su and Andie. It's all free to the public, so you can just turn up and see what's happening on the streets.