Forres is hosting a four-day event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
A number of community groups from across the town are working together to create a programme of events kicking off on Thursday, June 2.
The celebrations will include live music, a picnic in the park, music from the Forres & District Pipe Band, a performance of the official Queen’s Jubilee song and the return of the Toun Mercat.
Forres Community Council, Forres In Bloom and the Forres Community Activities Association are taking a lead on the organisation of the event.
Kathleen Robertson, chair of the Forres Community Council said: “We are very excited to be working as a community to stage a very special event spanning four days to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Once again, Forres is proving what a great community spirit it has, and we are well on our way to creating a fabulous occasion that the whole town will be able to enjoy.”
The event will kick off on the evening of Thursday, June 2 with the Tolbooth being lit up to stand as a ‘beacon,’ and will become part of a network of more than 1,500 beacons being lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, and UK overseas territories.
At 9.35pm, Pipers from the Forres & District Pipe Band will play ‘Diu Regnare’ – a unique tune especially written for the Platinum Jubilee. Imogen Symon, will play cornet piece ‘Majesty’ at 9.40pm which will officially announce the lighting of the Tolbooth at 9.45pm to the song ‘A Life Lived With Grace,’ by the Forres Youth Choir which is being performed at beacon lighting ceremonies up and down the country.
On Friday, the Toun Mercat will take place organised by the Forres Community Activities Association and on Sunday, people are being invited to a Picnic in the Park event at Grant Park where there will be a fancy-dress competition, tree planting, fun runs, live music and more.
Rachel Philp, a volunteer with the FCAA said: “It’s so great to be bringing events back to Forres and for such a great reason. The Toun Mercat last took place in 2018 and usually takes place every three years as part of Scottish Week but 2021 was cancelled due to Covid 19, so this Mercat is being specially pulled together to help the town celebrate the Jubilee. We are now taking applications from people who want to take stalls and get involved and all they need to do is get in touch.”
Kathleen added: “There really is something for everyone to enjoy, from special church services and bell ringing to the picnic in the park with lots of family activities. We want people to come along and enjoy themselves and if anyone has other ideas of how they can get involved in any part of what we are creating, we urge them to get in touch. This is an event by the community for the community.”
A stallholder application for the Toun Mercat can be found here.
