Exciting changes to the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend

The 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend will take place on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September 2017.  The Open Weekend gives visitors the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at British horseracing’s HQ, enjoy two fantastic days of fun and entertainment, plus raise money for local charities.

This year’s Newmarket Open Weekend will take place in the heart of the town’s new cultural quarter at the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art, with the Food & Drink Festival being in the centre of the action. With no racing on the Saturday it will give visitors the perfect opportunity to explore the new attractions and enjoy an exciting programme of events taking place in the Peter O’Sullevan Arena for the Welfare of the Horse, which will provide entertainment for all the family.

The events taking place in the Peter O’Sullevan Arena over the weekend will all be accessible with the NOW2017 wristbands, available to buy online now. A special promotion for NOW2017 will also ensure that all wristband holders will get tickets to the galleries at the National Heritage Centre for just £5 all weekend (reduced from £16.50).

The highlight on Sunday will once again be the opening of the trainers’ yards, allowing visitors to see some of the best equine superstars in the flesh, after catching them in action on the historic Warren Hill Gallops earlier that same morning.

Now in its third year, the popular Food and Drink Festival will be right at the heart of the action, in the centre of Newmarket itself, for both days. The theme of the Festival is a relaxed “olde” English country Fayre, decorated in a vintage style. Visitors to the event will have the chance to sample, and purchase, some of the best produce of East Anglia from over 50 bespoke stalls.

Each year the Open Weekend aims to raise as much money as possible for local charities, with the 2017 chosen charities being: Racing Welfare’s Newmarket Housing Project (80%), the Newmarket Day Centre (10%) and the Newmarket Academy (10%).

Funds will also be raised during racing at the Rowley Mile the following Saturday, 23 September, with guest commentators taking to the microphone for a third consecutive year in aid of NOW.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the 2017 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend please visit phpstack-25489-1437829.cloudwaysapps.com.  Early bird tickets cost £16 per person and U18’s go free all weekend.

Sara Cumani, Chairwoman of the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend, said; “Just for this year we have had to separate the weekend from racing due to conflicts in the calendar, with racing at the Rowley Mile taking place the following Saturday. Fortunately, we now have the brilliant new facilities at the National Heritage Centre to work with and can set the wheels in motion for our plans to bring the Open Weekend, including the established NOW Food & Drink Festival, right to the heart of the town.”