St. George’s Day event ideas are all about engaging the community. At a time when the country comes together to take pride in its history, this is a fantastic opportunity for people to help out those around them.
St. George is the patron saint of no fewer than 13 countries around the world, so his Feast Day is an occasion of diverse appeal and rich traditions. Whether the bunting is flying high, the Morris dancers are out in force, or guests are gearing up to eat roast lamb, St. George’s Day activity ideas are varied, memorable, and above all, fun. Bringing people together to participate in a tradition that’s both familiar and inclusive can result in some exceptional examples of community activism.
We’ve researched some great St. George’s Day event ideas to showcase how combining long-standing traditions with good causes can inspire guests to attend.
How St. George’s Day events can help local areas
These events are notable for their commitment to altruism as well as their fun-filled agendas.
St. George’s Day Concert at Chatsworth House
What better way to celebrate St. George’s Day than with a concert in honour of the legend himself? North East Derbyshire Council is marking the occasion with a St. George-themed performance in the spectacular Painted Hall of Grade 1-listed National Heritage site Chatsworth House. Built in the 17th Century, Chatsworth House’s elaborate English Baroque architecture explains why it is also known as ‘the Palace of the Peak’. Guests at the event will take in a special reception at the stately home’s Inner Court before moving to the Painted Hall for a concert featuring renowned choral and chamber musicians.
This limited-capacity concert not only promises to be a charming evening but also benefits the local area. Funds raised from the event will go towards aiding the local community Appeal for Ashgate Hospice.
By engaging sponsors to provide the venue and make various contributions, the organisers can focus their efforts on advertising the event to the community. Plus, keeping costs down means a greater contribution to the cause. Hopefully, that will ensure that this St. George’s Day event can bring people together for the betterment of the local area.
St. George’s Day Dinner to Fund Community Projects & Beach Cleaning in 2022
Another function organised by The Friends of Botany Bay & Palm Bay Northdown Group in Margate, Kent has a similar aim. This St. George’s Day event idea brings together dinner, dancing, and a prize-packed raffle to draw in the crowds. The organisers guarantee that all profits from the event will be used to fund summer beach and street cleaning around Botany and Palm Bay from June to September, along with other community projects.
Keeping to a community theme, the organisers have enlisted a celebrated local chef, Cedric Towning, to prepare the three-course meal featuring seasonal English ingredients. Live music comes courtesy of another local legend, entertainer Fred Barker. Even the wine pays homage to the local community with a selection of English varieties from the renowned Kentish Chapel Down vineyard.
The raffle takes full advantage of the end of COVID-19 restrictions by offering the chance to win an overnight stay in a suite at Margate’s renowned Albion Rooms. And that’s just one small part of how this particular event caters to a community looking to reunite after lockdown – the organisers also encourage booking a table to attend ‘with friends and neighbours’.
St. George’s Day event ideas for your community
To encourage people in your area to contribute to local causes, it’s important to keep them entertained. We’ve put together a few thoughts on how to make your St. George’s Day event a success.
1. Combine it with another occasion
Enhance the appeal of your St. George’s Day event by fitting it in with another high-profile occasion. Events – like the Mayor of Colchester’s Farewell Bash – that bring the community together, celebrate history, or express local or regional pride are a perfect fit for a St. George’s Day theme. Hosting a charity auction or fundraiser on April 23rd, for example, helps to link the cause with the community.
2. Stay on theme with refreshments
One of the easiest ways to champion the community is through refreshments, since local breweries and distilleries exist all over the country. Make sure your food and/or drinks are sourced locally, regionally, or nationally to ensure you stay on theme. Whiskyside promises guests at its St. George’s Day English Spirit Tasting that the event will bring ‘very special whisky from some of the top distilleries across our great nation’.
3. Keep it simple
There’s nothing wrong with sticking to a classic formula to make sure your St. George’s Day event is a success. A three-course meal and bar (regionally sourced, of course) rarely fail to impress. After all, what better way is there to bring a community together than over a traditional meal with friends and neighbours? Roast lamb is customary for the time of year.
4. Make it interactive
Arts and crafts can help keep guests of all ages entertained during your event. St. George’s Day is the perfect occasion to engage kids in flag-making or drawing and colouring in knights and dragons. Set up space at your event specifically for arts and crafts – and make sure there’s time to showcase the results.
5. Plan for families
Community events are a chance for groups to come together with their loved ones, both young and old. If you’re planning on hosting families at your St. George’s Day event, make sure you signpost activities for younger and/or older guests. Herts Tuition references the age suitability of its arts and crafts day straight away, which is always a good idea when planning any event.
6. Get back to nature
Celebrating your local community can be as much about the local landscape as the town centre. Help people connect with the environment by hosting your event in a place of natural beauty. Spending time with the plants and wildlife in the area can be a great way to impress upon guests the importance of taking care of their surroundings. Dan’s Foraging Adventures in Boughton-under-Blean does this particularly well
Plan events for your local community
St. George’s Day is both a fantastic occasion in its own right and an excellent reason to bring your local community together to do something charitable, something fun, or something out of the ordinary.
Have a read through our other blogs for more inspiration for community events. Or, if you’ve already got a great idea and are ready to start advertising it to the local community, you can sign up to host your event with Eventbrite.
