Things to do this April in Salisbury
It’s April! Finally, warmer weather and longer days are here and there’s plenty to keep you entertained across Salisbury. With Easter holidays and a long bank holiday to look forward to, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about fun things to do.
There’s a lot to experience this April in Salisbury so we’ve put together a roundup of the best things to see and do to ensure you have a cracking Easter!
Easter family fun
The Easter Egg Hunt and Bouncy Castle Fun at River Bourne Community Farm sounds the ideal opportunity for a family day out. From 11th to 19th April, the kids will get the chance to hunt down 10 pictures of Easter Eggs hidden around the farmyard. If they find them all they’ll win a goody bag! It’s only £3. The Easter Quest at Stonehenge, which runs until 24th April, will give the whole family the opportunity to explore the World Heritage Site. Find clues and challenges, and play traditional Easter games like egg rolling and the egg and spoon race. Track down the Easter eggs and you’ll be rewarded with a chocolate treat and an adventurer’s certificate. English Heritage is also running the same Easter Quest at Old Sarum.
Salisbury Street Sellers in 2021
Meanwhile, Salisbury Cathedral is holding a reflective Easter Trail until 22nd April with handouts for children that are designed to encourage reflective thought while visiting at such an important time of the year for the church. And, Salisbury Museum needs your help to find all their rabbits (not real ones I'm afraid!) in their fun Easter Trail. Take part before it ends on 24th April.
Outdoors
There are many opportunities to get outside as (hopefully) the weather improves! The first Salisbury Street Sellers of 2022 takes place in the Market Place this Sunday, 10th April. With an Easter Extravaganza theme, there will be stalls, food drink and Easter games for the children. Also taking place in the Market Place this month is the French Market on 20th and 21st April and following a two year break due to Covid, the St George’s Day celebrations will return on 24th April. There will be workshops, street food, Morris Dancers, puppet shows, live music, face painting and so much more for the whole family!
Check out Salisbury's French Market this April
If you want more family adventures, head to Stonehenge from 29th April to 2nd May to meet Gnomus! The giant caretaker of the Earth will be there to explore the history and conservation of the site through puppetry and storytelling.
This month will also see celebrations at Salisbury racecourse as racing kicks-off again there. The 2022 season opener takes place on 20th April with reduced admission prices.
If you're looking for free activities that will keep the kids occupied this Easter holiday then Salisbury City Council's popular Sports Roadshows could be the answer. They are FREE and will run at three locations across the city from 11th to 13th April. The children will love trying out a range of sports including football, hockey, basketball, cricket and tchoukball!
Theatre
From 7th to 23rd April, you can see an award-winning play at Salisbury Playhouse. Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children was named one of the three "best theatre shows of the 21st century" by the Guardian, and also gained great critical acclaim during its Broadway transfer: winning the Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for 'Best Play'. If you’re a fan of author Michael Morpurgo don’t miss the stage version of his award-winning Private Peaceful when it opens at Salisbury Playhouse on 25th April.
Gnomus will be entertaining families at Stonehenge this April
Music
There’s something for everyone this April when it comes to music. The beautiful Italianate church in Wilton provides the perfect setting for a programme of string quartets for Palm Sunday, offering a musical meditation for the start of Holy Week on 10th April. Salisbury Cathedral also has its Holy Week Concert on 13th April. ‘Lo, the full, final sacrifice’ is an evening of choral and organ music sung by Salisbury Cathedral Choir.
For opera lovers, Hurn Court Opera presents Donizetti's Don Pasquale on 14th April at Godolphin School’s Blackledge Theatre. On 23rd April there’s a celebration concert at Salisbury Cathedral to mark the Queen’s 70th jubilee and then the Cathedral will prepare for the launch of its Organ Festival - the first of seven concerts takes place on 30th April. If you want more organ music, check out St Thomas’ Church on 22nd April when David Halls, Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral will perform a recital there.
Salisbury Cathedral Organ Festival organiser, John Challenger
If you prefer your music a little more up-to-date, Live & Local returns to Salisbury Art Centre on 28th April with Solarbird, a four-piece rock covers band, set to get the party started.
If all that isn’t enough, why not make the most of Salisbury’s green parks and outdoor spaces, spend a day shopping or treat the family to a delicious meal! There’s so much to experience in Salisbury, and you’ll find it all at Experience Salisbury.
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