Families in Hull will have the opportunity to come together and pay tribute to the Second World War generation from Saturday 3 to Thursday 8 May.
A number of celebration events will take place across Hull to commemorate VE Day’s 80th year.
On Monday 5 May a street party will be set up in East Park, with picnic tables, VE Day themed tableware and flags, as well as themed entertainment.
People will be encouraged to come along and bring a picnic to enjoy at the tables, celebrating the historic day together.
The set up will be directly in front of the Pavilion Café which will be open throughout serving food and drink.
Any WWII veterans in attendance will also receive a commemorative pin badge to thank and mark this national date of remembrance.
Chris Jackson, director of regeneration at Hull City Council, said: “The 80th anniversary of VE Day is a poignant time for the country to come together, remember those who gave their lives and celebrate this historic date.”
On Thursday 8 May, local charity Hull 4 Heroes will host a free entry street party in the lower deck of Princes Quay, which will include food and live music and is open to all. The event will take place 11am – 2pm.
A memorial event will also be held at the Cenotaph on Paragon Square, led by the Royal British Legion at 11am and is open to attend.
Over in Bransholme, Back to Ours will hold a free street party in their Bransholme Chat shop at North Point shopping centre, where guests will be welcomed by a 1940’s character and enjoy food and drink with entertainment. Places can be booked at the Chat shop.
Louise Yates, CEO & AD at Back to Ours, said: “A lady brought in a lovely photo of her and her brother celebrating victory day in 1945 and our steering group have been planning a week of celebrations ever since.
“We’ll have activities throughout the week with time to reflect and share stories and a street party on Thursday 8 May – it’s a great opportunity to people together.”
Alongside the street party, a number of other events will take place throughout the week at the Chat room including a teddy bear’s picnic, live music and a themed quiz. Find out more here.
Hull History Centre will also get involved in celebrations, hosting a free event on Saturday 3 May.
There will be screenings of archival footage showing the people of Hull celebrating VE Day in May 1945 and a display of original historical documents selected from the History Centre collections.
Screenings will take place at 10am, 12noon and 2pm. More details can be found here.
As part of the commemorations, key city centre buildings will be lit in the evenings from Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8 May.
For more details on the various VE Day events taking place, go to www.visithull.org.
