The fourth annual York Georgian Festival celebrating 18th-century history with talks, tours, performances, and workshops across the city.
York Mansion House is hosting the fourth annual York Georgian Festival from Thursday 6 to Monday 10 August, five days of talks, tours, performances and workshops celebrating 18th-century life across the city. It's run by the Mansion House in partnership with local businesses, and the programme is spread over several venues rather than just one.
The big one is the York Georgian Masquerade Ball on Saturday 8 August at The Grand Assembly Rooms. If you're not up for a full ball, there's plenty of smaller stuff: Terry Deary, the Horrible Histories author, does Murder in the Georgian Theatre on the opening day, 6 August. There's a free promenade through the city on the 8th, though you'll need to book your place. Over the weekend, the Galliard Dancers perform and His Majesty's 33rd Regiment of Foot put on military manoeuvres in St Helen's Square, with a talk and demo on Life as a Georgian infantry man at the Mansion House to go with it.
Looking at the full run, Thursday 6 August has a self-guided tour at Bar Convent, Georgian dance for children at the Mansion House, a curator's talk on fashion at Fairfax House, a lemon curd cooking demo, a ladies' dressmaking workshop and Terry Deary's presentation. Friday 7 August adds a guided river walk, a Georgian dance class at The Guildhall, a miniature Georgian house papercraft workshop, a fan language workshop, a talk on costume and textiles at York Castle Museum, Convict Women in York and Beyond at Barley Hall and a Georgian cheese and wine supper at the Mansion House. Saturday 8 August brings Awakening the Past at Fairfax House, the promenade, the Galliard Dancers, the military manoeuvres, the infantry man talk and the masquerade ball. Sunday 9 August repeats Awakening the Past, the dancers, the manoeuvres and the infantry man talk, with No Priest but Love: an afternoon exploring Anne Lister's loves at Holy Trinity Church Goodramgate and Merchant Taylors' Hall. Monday 10 August finishes with the Bar Convent tour and four talks: Blackmail and scandal at the heart of the Court, Shoes and the Georgian Man, Sancho and Sterne: A Meeting of Minds in Georgian Britain and The Unnatural Trade.
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Most activities need booking online in advance. If you're taking part, there's a 15% discount at The Cumberland Step from 6 to 10 August with the code GEORGIANFESTIVAL, though it doesn't apply to the riverside café.
