Thrill seekers are to take on an assault course under the Orwell Bridge while food fans will be served up sizzling sausages during the first ever Suffolk Day.
Bell ringers, thespians and film lovers from Ipswich and beyond will come together to celebrate everything that makes Suffolk shine tomorrow – with hundreds invited to join in.
Visitors to the county town will be greeted with the smell of specially made Suffolk Day sausages when they pass the Rose House Butchery in St Peter’s Street.
Flavoured with maple cured smoked bacon and Aspalls cyder and made from Breckland pork, the sausages have been hand-crafted by owner Jamie Willows himself.
Over the past few days, he has been making batches formed of more than 100 sausages - but it is all worth it for Suffolk Day, he said.
“I’ve been busy working on them for the last couple of days and it’s been really fun,” he added.
“I think Suffolk Day is a great thing and I’m hoping lots of people come to taste the sausages.
“We’ve used really local ingredients and they are so recognisable as Suffolk produce which is obviously good for businesses and the people eating them too as they know where it’s come from.”
A 4x4 assault course under the Orwell Bridge and a genuine Suffolk timber snigging display will form part of celebrations at Suffolk Food Hall.
Farmers in the county used the historical method of snigging before heavy machinery was invented - the demonstration will give onlookers an insight into how their ancestors worked.
Iconic Suffolk Punches will also be on parade as part of the hall’s collaboration with the county’s horse society.
Film lovers can watch the sun set over the river Orwell further in the evening during an outdoor cinema screening at the hall.
Marketing executive Russell Haddow said: “We think Suffolk Day is a great idea – it will allow everyone to celebrate the beautiful county we live in. Suffolk Food Hall is reliant on farmers, producers, business and the public and so we were keen to put on as much as possible to thank them.”
Bell ringers will pay a musical tribute to Suffolk’s cultural heritage in East Bergholt throughout the evening.
There are more than 200 bell towers across the county, many housed in churches.
Hosted by the Suffolk Guild of Bell Ringers, people living in the village are being invited along to listen to the rendition, composed especially for Suffolk Day.
Neal Dodge, public relations officer, said: “Bell ringing is a sound that is present in people’s lives from baptisms to weddings, from funerals to celebrations.
“We thought there was no better way to celebrate Suffolk than to make use of its sophisticated network of bell towers - we have a rich musical and religious heritage here. In some ways, bell ringing is the most recognisable sound of Suffolk.”
More than 300 pupils from Suffolk secondary schools are grasping the opportunity to learn more about farming and agriculture at a special event which this year plans to take on a Suffolk Day theme.
Organised by Hollow Trees Farm Shop in Semer, Easton and Otley College and the Suffolk Agricultural Association, the 2017 Food and Farming Student Day is taking place at Hollow Trees Farm tomorrow.
Eight stations across the farm will offer students help and advice, delivering workshops on topics such as machinery, field to fork and sustainable agriculture.
Director Sally Bendall said: “We’re very much looking forward to our eighth Food and Farming Day. Really, I can’t think of a better day to host it on than Suffolk Day. Farming, food and agriculture are Suffolk staples and it is great to see the pupils coming along to learn more about their county and how producers, farms and businesses operate and work together.
“We’ll be carrying out a special Suffolk Day lunch and some other events that are new for 2017.”
Businesses such as the East of England Co-op and Suffolk County Council owned Vertas will also be getting involved, hosting a range of events including cooking up a special Suffolk Day lunch menu.
Community ping pong sessions, aqua aerobics and cake will be available at Hadleigh Pool and Leisure Centre from 9.30am tomorrow.
Ipswich’s Sailmakers shopping centre will be hosting a big chinwag complete with fizzy treats and cake from 11am to 3pm while a barbecue will be taking place throughout the day at Basepoint.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here