50+ Festival
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2022
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 2 October
An exciting mix of events in person, online, or both – the door is open…
This is the 17th annual 50+ Festival organised by YOPA – programme deadline Saturday 24 July!
“We weren’t certain how last year’s Festival would go, given the difficulties caused by the pandemic, but we were really pleased that people and groups responded with positive ideas, events, and activities. We had more than 80 events in last year’s Festival, and we’d like to increase that number this year! We hope that you or your group will have suggestions and ideas about activities or events that will provide opportunities for people to get together, have fun and learn new things. Please contact us if you want to suggest anything, can provide an activity, or want to volunteer or help,” said Mary Cannon, the current festival coordinator.
Why not give Mary a ring on 01904 332613 / 07920 162034 to discuss possibilities, or simply fill in the event form here or the business advertising form here as soon as possible.
Enquiries to yorkfiftyplus@gmail.com.
Remember the final programme deadline is Saturday 24 July!

See York 50+ Festival Launch press release: York 50+ Festival 2022 launch
50+ Festival
The York Older People’s Assembly has created an important annual event for the City of York
for a summary of what has been achieved over the first 10 years, 2005 – 2014
click here
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2021
Saturday 25 September – Sunday 3 October
This is the 16th annual 50+ Festival organised by YOPA and we are staging a comeback after Covid temporarily suspended play last year.
An exciting mix of events in person, online, or both – the events are in!
We are delighted with the response. The York 50+ Festival is going ahead ‘undaunted’ offering 82 events !!!
That means that local people will be able to gather together (taking responsibility for their own safety) to share events in person, or join online from York and around the country.
You can find the full Festival Programme and the Festival Overview here:-
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
Keep your programme to hand for future reference as many of these taster sessions will lead on to courses and opportunities throughout the year.
Festival Coordinator: Mary Cannon 01904 332613 or email yorkfiftyplus@gmail.com.

Please feel free to use the latest press release to spread the word – click here
PHOTO GALLERY 2021
05 Oct:Floods and Walls Walk
05 Oct:Spiritualist Centre
08 Oct:York Minster in Close Up
08 Oct:Chatty Benches
08 Oct:Experience Nordic Walking
08 Oct:Cuppa, Cake and Chatter
22 Oct:Mary & Jim Cannon
22 Oct:Madhyamaka Tour Meditation
22 Oct:Jorvik Dance



YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2019
Friday 20 September – Sunday 6 October
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
This is our 15th annual 50+ Festival – coordinated by The YOPA festival team.
PHOTO GALLERY 2019
04 Sep: Tang Hall Information Fair
10 Sep: St Sampsons Centre Information Fair
10 Sep: Spurriergate Centre Information Fair
13 Sep: The Gateway Centre Acomb Information Fair
20 Sep: Clements hall talk
21 Sep: Red tower open day
24 Sep: Move it or lose it with Natalie
25 Sep: OCAY Fun day
25 Sep: Singing for Fun
25 Sep: Sir Laugh-a-lot and Lady lot
26 Sep: Zumba gold
26 Sep: The Tuke family in York, Senior Friends
27 Sep: Politics today – Fabian Society
27 Sep: Indoor bowls taster
27 Sep: Wellbeing in York & Menopause Matters & Touch for Health Balancathon
28 Sep: Knavesmire Park Run
28 Sep: Crafts & Health and wellbeing
28 Sep: Acomb Parish Churches craft & coffee morning
28 Sep: Balanced Life programme of Tai Chi for seniors
01 Oct: Famous UK people Past & Present
01 Oct: York Bridge Club Open Day
01 Oct: Dunnington Table Tennis
02 Oct: Family History Society
02 Oct: Walking Football & Hockey
03 Oct: Over 55 Ballet Class
03 Oct: Fairer World
03 Oct: A Taste of Circle Dance!
04 Oct: Create & Connect Cafe
05 Oct: Impressions of a Tibetan Community in Exile
05 Oct: Supportive Sewers
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2018
Friday 21 September – Sunday 7 October
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
This is our 14th annual 50+ Festival – coordinated by The YOPA festival team.
PHOTO GALLERY 2018 by Catherine Sotheran and Sue Lister
Fri 21 Sep: Vocal Flourish Community Choir & Friendship group with a musical twist
Sun 23 Sep: Myths and fairytales for old and young
Tue 25 Sep: Halves Lunch club & Health + Wellbeing with Ayurvedic herbs & York in Close Up
Wed 26 Sep: Line Dancing & Laughter Yoga
Fri 28 Sep: Action for Elders – balanced lives
Sat 29 Sep: Healing dance
Mon 1 Oct: Scottish country dancing
Tue 2 Oct: Keep Fit & Welcome To Circle Dance
Fri 5 Oct: Keepsake art
Sat 6 Oct: NO KIDDING & Saturday evening English Folk Dance
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2017
Saturday 30 September – Sunday 8 October
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
This is our 13th annual 50+ Festival – coordinated by The YOPA festival team.
PHOTO GALLERY 2017 by Catherine Sotheran
Thursday 21 Sept: Victorian Craftsmen
Friday 22 Sept: Longing, Belonging and Balfour
Saturday 30 Sept: Glen Garden and Sporting Heritage
Saturday 30 Sept: Clothes Swap!
Sunday 1 Oct: Bowls Taster Session
Sunday 1 Oct: Tai Chi and Seated Pilates
Monday 2 Oct: Almshouse walk and Playing the Edinburge Fringe
Tuesday 3 Oct: Sequence dancing and Indoor Bowls
Tuesday 3 Oct: Gale Farm Court and On My Trolley
Wednesday 4 Oct: Needle Felting and Your Cafe
Wednesday 4 Oct: Sing for Joy
Thursday 5 Oct: Health Walk, Seated Tai Chi, and Rowing Taster session
Saturday 7 Oct: More Food for Thought
Wednesday 11 Oct: Theatre Royal Cream Tea and back stage tour
Friday 27 Oct: Line Dancing
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2016
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 2 October
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
This is our 12th annual 50+ Festival – coordinated by The YOPA festival team.
Your skills are needed in the creation of a new 50+ Festival Team:-
– programme editor
– publicity and displays
– website and social media
– programme distribution
– taking photos of events for the website
Contact Sue asap through the YOPA office at yorkassembly@btconnect.com
PHOTO GALLERY 2016 by Catherine Sotheran
Thursday 15 Sept: York 50+ Festival Information Fair
Friday 23 Sept: York 50+ Festival Show, Backstage Tour & Cream Tea
Saturday 24 Sept: UnlockYour Camera Power; Free E-Magazines & Audio Books; Classical Indian Dance; Dead Good Cake ‘n Chat
Sunday 25 Sept: Walk & Talk – Judaism & Islam in York
Monday 26 Sept: Dunnington Library Coffee Morning; Pain Free Movement with Somatics
Tuesday 27 Sept: Dunnington Health Walk
Wednesday 28 Sept: Greet, Eat & Meet (GEM); Mini Seated Massage; Almshouses of York
Thursday 29 Sept: New Earswick Carers Hub; Lishi; Reiki; Mini-Facial; Fair’s Fair; Sing-along at St Sampson’s
Saturday 1 Oct: Big Booksale; Harvest Happening
Monday 3 Oct: Circle Dance; Scottish Country Dancing
SPORT & LEISURE PHOTOS by John Saunders
Tuesday 27 Sept 16:Badminton
Thursday 29 Sept 16: Table Tennis
click here
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2015
Saturday 26 September – Sunday 4 October
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
This is our 11th annual 50+ Festival – coordinated by The YOPA festival team.
PHOTO GALLERY 2015 by Sue Lister
Thursday 10 Sept: 50+ Information Fair
Saturday & Sunday 26 & 27 Sept: Camera Power; Zentist; Greenways Cycling
Monday 28 Sept: Walking Football; Kyra Women’s Project; Cloud Storage; Monday Club; Cleverest Thief;Scottish Country Dancing
Tuesday 29 Sept: Social Networking; Circle Dancing; Croquet; Kickboxing; Rock Choir
Wednesday 30 Sept: Free to be Me
Thursday 1 Oct: T’ai Chi; Sitting T’ai Chi; Wandesford House; Patchwork & Quilting; Health & Wellbeing Event
Friday 2 Oct: Glass Fusing; Ageing without Children; Ancestry; Tilling
Saturday 3 Oct: Curiosities of York; Islam in York; Grandfather in Tibet 1905; Djembebash Drum
Sunday 4 Oct: Green Bites
SPORT & LEISURE PHOTOS by John Saunders
Monday 28 Sept: Climbing Wall
Wednesday 30 Sept: Gliding
Friday 2 Oct: Fencing
PHOTO CONTRIBUTIONS
Don Walls Poetry Evening; Mrs Tobit Tells All; Scottish Country Dancing;
Carers Centre Drop In; Marzipan Icing
YORK 50+ FESTIVAL 2014
This year we had an amazing diversity of over 130 events for our 10th Anniversary
with over 5,000 people of all ages participating !
Sport & Active Leisure (thanks to CYC Sport & Active Leisure and clubs around the city) 49 events
Health & Wellbeing 24 events
Workshops 19 events
Socials 11 events
Displays and Open Days 11 events
Shows/Films 9 events
Talks 9 events
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME – (brochure with all event details)
– CLICK HERE
This is our 10th annual 50+ Festival – Festival Coordinator, Sue Lister: 01904 488870.
PHOTO GALLERY by Sue Lister
Wednesday 10 Sept: 50+ Information Fair (Guildhall, Spurriergate Centre, All Saints Pavement, St Sampson’s Centre)
Monday 22 Sept: 50+ Festival Show at the Theatre Royal Studio
Saturday 27 Sept: Food & Cooking; Cruise on the Ouse; Book Sale & Clothes Swap; Funeral Planning; Advance Decisions; Boogie Your Belly
Sunday 28 Sept: Dementia & Me
Monday 29 Sept: Haxby E-Readers; Musical Entertainment; Pamper Session
Tuesday 30 Sept: Dunnington Walk; New Earswick Explore iPads; Connecting Carers; Welcome to your New Home? Sea Fever
Wednesday 1 Oct: 50+ Circuits; Christmas Fair Trade; Food, Fun & Good Company; Dementia Awareness Workshop
Thursday 2 Oct: Live Well Chiropractic; Nova Art; Knit & Natter; Peace Talk; Tramways Dance
Friday 3 Oct: Singing Extravaganza; Fires & Fire Brigades; Let Go & Laugh
Saturday 4 Oct: Qi gonng; Rowntree Park Explore; Rag Rugging
Sunday 5 Oct: Wings; Read My Book Not My Cover
SPORT & LEISURE PHOTOS by John Saunders
Sunday 28 Sept: Indoor Bowls
Monday 29 Sept: Multi-Activity Session
Wednesday 1 Oct: Boccia & New Age Kurling
PHOTO CONTRIBUTIONS
Saturday 27 Sept: Food & Cooking
PHOTO GALLERY
Thursday 12 Sept: 50+ Information Fair (Guildhall & Spurriergate)
Sunday 22 Sept: Model Boat Regatta (Laytham)
Thursday 26 Sept: You Must Remember This (St Sampson’s)
Saturday 28 Sept: York Bake Off; Family Fun Day; Open Day – Ouse & Foss; Kiwis in Concert
Sunday 29 Sept: York Sailing Club; Heworth Tennis Club; Bellringers in Action
Monday 30 Sept: Vanished Chapels of York; Threats to the NHS; Tibet-Ancient Culture/Modern World; Modern Sequence Dancing
Tuesday 1 Oct: Dunnington Health Walk; Over the Rainbow…but Not Over the Hill; Move On MoveUp; Threats to Peace Today
Wednesday 2 Oct: Volunteering is Good for Your Health; The Secrets of Coffee Making; French Choir
Thursday 3 Oct: Table Tennis; York Postal Veterans; Pleasure in Poetry; Greenspeak Cafe; Bellydancing
Friday 4 Oct: International Development Volunteering; York 50+ Festival Show; Times that Remain
Saturday 5 Oct: Poppleton Railway Nursery; St Leonard’s Hospice Open Day; Europe-A Chocolate Soldier?
Sunday 6 Oct: Hidden Stories of York
PHOTO GALLERY
Thursday 13 Sept: 50+ Information Fair
Friday 14 Sept: 50+ Festival Show
Saturday 22 Sept: Dragon Boat Challenge
Sunday 23 Sept: Alzheimers Memory Walk
Sunday 23 Sept: Model Boat Regatta
Saturday 29 Sept: Castle Mills Lock; Let Your Hair Down & Sing; Children of the Holy Land; Music & Muffins; A Life in Music
Sunday 30 Sept: Classical Music with Christian Forshaw
Monday 1 Oct: Historical Walk; Harrowells; Crombie & Wilkinson
Tuesday 2 Oct: Country Music; Health Walk; EFT Tapping; Iran – Problems & Possibilities
Wednesday 3 Oct: Carers’Coffee Morning; Minster Show & Tell; Crystal Workshop
Thursday 4 Oct: Herbal Medicine; Wisdom from Tibet; City of Sanctuary + Real People Theatre
Friday 5 Oct: YKSoul Event
Saturday 6 Oct: Rags to Riches; Tui Na; Rediscovering Bedern’s Boys; Madhyamaka Buddhist Centre
Sunday 7 Oct: Effective Yoga; ENG-age 50+ Games; Look at Me!
Final press release on the success of the 8th annual 50+ Festival here
PHOTO GALLERY
Thursday 8 Sept: 50+ Information Fair
Wednesday 14 Sept: Hospital Open Event
Friday 16 Sept: 50+ Festival Show
Thursday 22 Sept: Auction of Promises
Friday 23 Sept: Castle Howard Away Day Walk
Sunday 25 Sept: Indoor Bowls, Alzheimers Memory Walk, MORmusic Guitar Class; Model Boat Regatta
Monday 26 Sept: Tai Chi, Tap, Adult Ballet
Tuesday 27 Sept: Cycle Rides, Sequence Dancing
Wednesday 28 Sept: Nordic Walking, Line Dancing, Variety Show
Thursday 29 Sept: Zumba Gold, Tai Chi, Piano Concert;
Friday 30 Sept: Recorder Group visits Abbeyfield House;
Bedern Hall; Fair Trade Christmas Preview, Omelette Cooking Demonstration
Saturday 1 Oct:Alexander Technique for Gardeners
Sunday 2 Oct: York’s Famous Fabulous Over 50s
BRIDGING THE GAP
Income & Inclusion at the Friends Meeting House
Saturday 25 Sept 2010
11am – 4pm
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
CLICK HERE
Bridging the Gap photos


Tel: 07856 908586
Unit 24, SPARK:YORK, 17-21 Piccadilly
YORK YO1 9PB
Working for older people in York. YOPA aims to:
- represent the views of older people in York to decision makers locally and nationally.
- Inform older people about services that are available.
- Identify where needs are not being met.