Joint Morris Organisations’ Day of Dance 2024 coming to Newark this weekend

Up to 500 Morris dancers and musicians are set to dance their way through Newark this weekend.

The Morris Federation’s Joint Morris Organisations’ Day of Dance 2024 will be held on Saturday, April 13, from 10am to 4pm.

Thirty-six different dance teams from near and far will put on displays throughout the day, including groups from Yorkshire, Manchester, Somerset, East Anglia and the West Midlands, as well as teams from Nottinghamshire and other East Midlands counties.

The event is hosted by Trentside Holmes Morris from Sutton on Trent on behalf of The Morris Federation, and supported by the Lincoln and Micklebarrow Morris Men and Rattlejag Morris.

It will begin with a welcome from the town’s Deputy Mayor Diane Ledger in front of the Town Hall, and end in the same spot in the afternoon with a ‘Rattle Off’ dance for everybody, led by Rattlejag Morris, at 4pm.

Throughout the day dancing will take place at Riverside Arena and Riverside Park, the Town Lock, in the Castle grounds, at The Wharf, in The Old Post Office beer garden, and in the Market Place.

Rattlejag Morris may also be wandering around all the dance venues from 10am to 11am with their ‘beast’, the mighty Grymblewyrm.

Mike Everett, of Trentside Holmes Morris, said: “Newark provides a wonderful backdrop to this exciting and joyful spectacle, full of colour and music.

“It’s all free so we hope that lots of people will come along to support and watch the dancing, and take the opportunity to find out more about traditional dances as well as taking lots of film clips and photos to share on social media.”

The event is held annually to celebrate the country’s national dances, and this is only the second time it is being held in a market town rather than a large city.