Armed Forces Day
Join us on Saturday 29 June from 10am to 4:30pm in the beautiful grounds of Pontefract Park for a day full of free and fun activities. Wakefield Armed Forces Day celebrates the outstanding contribution that our Armed Forces make to the country with a proper Yorkshire family day out!
Local Armed Forces groups, Cadet Forces, Blue Light services, Veterans’ groups, charities and community groups are holding stalls and demonstrations at the event, alongside lots of food, drink and a large craft market.
The arena entertainment includes performances from community dance groups and The Yorkshire Military Band. There will also be children’s rides and activities, and lots more.
Key information for visitors
Entry and parking
Entry to the event is free and there is no charge for parking. We expect it to be a busy day so please do try to car-share or use public transport where you can. This will minimise the impact on local traffic in and around Pontefract. Pontefract Tanshelf train station is a 10 minute walk (1/2 mile) from the park and buses from Pontefract Bus station leave every 15 minutes, stopping at Park Road / Princes Drive.
There is Blue Badge parking available. Please show your Blue Badge to our parking staff.
Toilets
Accessible toilets will be spread out around the event area. The two public toilets in the changing room building will also be open.
Food and drink
You are welcome to bring your own food or enjoy a wide selection of food and drink from our outlets. They are serving everything from hot dogs to a Prosecco or a latte. Please do not bring glass bottles or jars into the park.
Unfortunately, there is no drinking water available on site. Please bring your own water or purchase it from the food outlets. Cold drinks will be available for purchase and some stalls will have dog water bowls available.
Please remember to bring adequate drinking water, especially if it is going to be a very hot and sunny day.
Most of the market stalls and food outlets can take electronic payments. There will be some small community group stands holding a tombola and raffles that can only take cash.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome and must be kept on a lead. Please do not leave your dog unaccompanied at any time. Please remember to bring poo bags and to clean up after your dog. There will be plenty of bins available for you to use. If it’s a warm day, please also remember to bring some water for your furry friend!
Weather
Please note that this is an outdoor event with very little shade or shelter.
We recommend you bring an umbrella if rain is forecast.
In sunny conditions, please remember to bring sunglasses, sunscreen and sunhats (the sillier the better!). You might even want to bring an umbrella / parasol.
For live event information, follow www.facebook.com/WakefieldArmedForcesDay