May Day Celebrations
Saturday 5 May to Monday 7 May 2018
Celebrate May Day at Hever Castle & Gardens over the early May Bank Holiday.
The May Day Festival runs from 5 to 7 May with a host of customs and activities for all the family to enjoy.
LOCATION: Hever Castle & Gardens, Hever Rd, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7NG
Join the Lord and Lady of the May on the Castle Forecourt and see the crowning of the May Queen. Visitors are invited to dance around the Maypole with brightly coloured ribbons intertwined. This age old custom is followed by demonstrations of May Day Dancing accompanied by 16th century music and a playlet about the traditional story of the battle of the seasons.
Meet the mythical Jack-in-the-Green and follow the Green Man from folklore in a traditional May Day procession through the gardens as he wakes up the plants for summer with the help of children and their magical May bells (2.30pm). There’s also a Green Man trail through the Castle and children can have their face painted* (*additional charge).
At this time of year, the award-winning gardens and grounds are a feast for the eyes, with the delicate blossom of pear, apple and cherry trees to lift the spirits. Stroll through the Pergola Walk where the walls are bedecked with an array of Wisteria and admire the colourful bedding plants in the Italian Gardens.