Durham County Council is encouraging residents to join the 8th Battalion the Rifles, and their military band and bugles, for the Rifles Freedom Concert on Saturday 6 June.
The live performance will be celebrating ten years since Wharton Park reopened, after a year-long £3m revamp, which saw the creation of the heritage centre, café and play areas.
Starting at 11am, the free event will feature a range of entertainment. This will include food and drink stalls such as Caps Off Brewery, Grandpas Fish Bar and Street Coffee Co, plus paint ball and exhibition stalls, with craft activities for families to enjoy.
A fitness coach from L K Health and Wellbeing will also be offering free sports sessions for children to take part in at the park throughout the day.
Meanwhile, members of Durham Music Wind Band will take part in a morning workshop with the Rifles band before joining them to perform later in the day.
At 1pm, the 68th Society will be performing and carrying out re-enactments in memory of the Durham Light Infantry, one of the most famous county regiments. The performance will take place in the amphitheatre, with seating on the grassed banks. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket or low-backed seat on the day.
Residents will then be able to relax and enjoy the concert, from 2.30pm until 3.30pm. There is no need for visitors to book, and seating will also be available in the park’s outdoor amphitheatre on the grassed banks.
Named the Rifles Freedom Concert, the day will also celebrate the Freedom of the City of Durham and will take place instead of the traditional march in the city.
Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “We’re pleased to invite residents and visitors to what will be a fantastic weekend celebrating this historic and much-loved park.
“Since its revamp, Wharton Park has become a hub for events and recreational opportunities and is a prime location in the heart of Durham City that families can enjoy. We hope people revel in the celebrations and we look forward to seeing them there.”
Wharton Park car park will be closed on the day with limited blue badge spaces, but a drop off and pick up system will be in operation for those not able to walk to the event. Free parking will be available at County Hall car park just a short walk away, with visitors just needing to follow yellow event signage.
A number of local councillors contributed funding to the event through their Councillor Grant Fund, including Councillors Amanda Hopgood, Elizabeth Pears, Ellie Hopgood and Mark Wilkes, who contributed £200 each. Meanwhile, Cllr Elizabeth Scott contributed £500, Cllr David Freeman £400, and Cllr Liz Brown £300.
The concert comes at a poignant time as the day marks 82 years since D-Day. To mark the occasion, the cultural, heritage and registration venue, The Story, will be lit up in commemoration.
The concert will not be the only event taking place at Wharton Park in the coming months, as Streets of Brass will return to Durham City on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July as part of Durham Brass Festival.
Party in the Park will be just one of the many celebrations taking place across the city, with a free concert at Wharton Park’s amphitheatre from 5pm to 9pm on Saturday 18 July, featuring a must-see line-up of street bands.
Taking place in 2016, the work to revamp the park was carried out thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery and was marked with a spectacular weekend of celebrations at the time.
