A day of commemoration and celebration has been organised at Ipswich’s first public park to mark Armed Forces Day.

The Sunset Celebration event will take place at Christchurch Park on Sunday, June 28 with something for the whole family to enjoy.

Robin Vickery, chairman of the Ipswich branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “This is a very important occasion but one which will be a lot of fun, too.

“This year we will be marking the 200th anniversary of Waterloo, the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the 70th anniversary of VE and VJ Days.

“We shall also be paying tribute to those members of our Armed Forces who fought – and, in many cases, died – for their country.” The day starts with a picnic and concludes with a sunset ceremony, with re-enactments, singing and dancing, music from the 1940s, a dance workshop, fireworks and a procession led by the Mayor of Ipswich, Glen Chisholm, veterans and cadets.

Mr Chisholm said: “It is a great honour to be involved in an event that commemorates such an important part of our history.

“It is important that we do not forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. And those that still work to defend us.”

An Apache helicopter will also be on display at the park, which was last month awarded a certificate of excellence from the TripAdvisor website.

An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman said: “We are thrilled to be part of this first Sunset Celebrations and we hope that a large number of residents will turn up.

“It’s a day for families, commemoration but also for celebration and there will be many attractions going on throughout the day.”

The Sunset Celebration is free to attend and will run from noon until 10pm.