Plymouth's Ocean City Festival
‘Britain’s Ocean City’, is hosting its annual Ocean City Festival from 9 – 22 September 2013 to celebrate its waterfront location and historical relationship with the sea. The exciting thirteen-day programme aims to entice thousands of visitors including residents, tourists, scientists and adventurers to explore the city and discover all it has to offer.
The Ocean City Festival will highlight the city’s standing in Ocean Culture, Business, Science and Education and will aim to raise awareness, nationally and internationally, of Plymouth’s role as a leading UK ocean city, for research, leisure, heritage and local produce.
A range of venues will host the events, entertainment and activities taking place across the city including The Barbican, Sutton Harbour, The Hoe, Plymouth University and the Royal William Yard.
Key highlights include events:
- Beagle Debate, 10 September; Darwin’s HMS Beagle will play host to a fun and engaging educational debate on preserving marine species’ for the future. A panel of five experts will present reasons for saving their favourite marine species during this event onboard the historical ship
- The Ecover Blue Mile challenge, 14 and 15 September; The Blue Mile challenge is a 1-mile timed, open water swim which takes place in the waters of Plymouth Sound. Those not taking part can cheer on the swimmers from the Hoe
- STEMFest, 16 – 20 September; The National Marine Aquarium is opening its doors again for the annual schools STEMFest (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) event. The Aquarium and other guest organisations will be running a full day of STEM activities
- Plymouth Seafood Festival, 20 – 22 September; This three-day celebration highlights the city’s enduring relationship with the sea and its traditional fishing industry, as well as its growing reputation as a food lover’s haven
- Resurgam, 21 September; an interactive gaming experience featuring a supernatural action-adventure movie with you at the heart of the story. History, digital technology and theatre integrate to create a unique gaming experience that immerses players by sending them out on a citywide treasure hunt to find the magical ‘Pearl of Plymouth’
- Children’s parade, 21 September; The children’s parade will take place through the streets of the Barbican on Saturday in celebration of Britain’s Ocean City
Ocean City Festival events calendar at a glance:
09 September
2pm - 4.30pm: Mount Batten Meander
Meet at the Barbican Landing Stage
10 September
4.30pm - 7pm: SciTec Showcase
Plymouth University Graduation Marquee,
The Hoe
7pm: Beagle Debate
National Marine Aquarium
1.10 - 2pm: Lunchtime Talk: The Huff of Arklow
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery
11 September
1 - 1.30pm: Art Bite: All at Sea
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery
7pm: The Sea Inside - Philip Hoare
Plymouth University, Jill Craigie Cinema
12 September
12 - 5pm: Tourism and Visitor Economy Conference 2013
Plymouth University Graduation Marquee,
The Hoe
5.45 - 8pm: Plymouth Int. Trade Club Event
Tamar Science Park
2 - 3.30pm: Cattewater, Lambhay and Barbican Walk and Talk
Meet at Dutton’s Cafe
6.30 - 8pm: “Trawler” A Journey through the North Atlantic by Redmond O’Hanlon
Plymouth University
13 September
9.30am - 4pm: Britain and the Sea 2
Plymouth University, Portland Square
Building
13 - 21 September
Various Times: Ocean City Festival Screenings
Plymouth City Centre Piazza
14 September
2 - 3.30pm: Mountwise and The Waterfront Walk and Talk
Meet at Mutton Cove
7pm: Smartphone Science: Calling all Seafarers
Plymouth University Graduation Marquee,
The Hoe
14 - 15 September
8am - 7.30pm: Ecover Blue Mile
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth University Plastics Lab
Commercial Wharf
16 September
10am & 12pm: Maritime Heritage Archive Tours
Plymouth and West Devon Record Office
2 - 4.30pm Royal William Yard Ramble
Meet at Barbican Landing Stage
7pm: Ocean City Festival Screening Trashed:
The Plymouth Cut
National Marine Aquarium
16 - 20 September
10am - 2.30pm: STEM Fest
National Marine Aquarium
17 September
1.10 - 2pm: Lunchtime Talk: Earth Systems: The Impact of Change
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery
19 September
2 - 3.30pm: Plymouth Hoe and Waterfront Walk and Talk
Meet at The Belvedere
19 - 22 September
8.30pm: Ocean City Festival Screenings
Royal William Yard
20 September
9am - 4pm: Food Plymouth Conference
National Marine Aquarium
1pm: Royal Navy Freedom of the City Parade
Plymouth City Centre
20 - 22 September
10am - 5pm: Plymouth Seafood Festival
Historic Barbican and Sutton Harbour
21 September
10am - 4pm: Community Supported Fisheries
Plymouth University,Portland Square Building
10am - 12pm: Wild About Plymouth: Discover the Laboratory on the Hoe
Citadel Hill Laboratory
12 - 8pm: River Tamar Project – Influencing the River: Fathom Premier
Royal William Yard, Old Factory Cooperage
1pm onwards: Ocean City Festival Parade
Historic Barbican
2 - 4pm: River Tamar Project: Family Workshop - Sound and Science
Old Factory Cooperage, Royal William Yard
5pm onwards: Resurgam
Plymouth University and Citywide
22 September
10am, 12 & 2pm: Devonport Naval Heritage Centre Open Day
Royal Devonport Dockyard
2pm: River Tamar Project- Influencing the River: Project Talk
Royal William Yard
Plymouth’s Ocean City Festival is a landmark event which aims to cement the city’s reputation as Britain's Ocean City. The festival will bring the world under the waters of Plymouth Sound to life with a colourful programme of events and activities for all the family.
For more information on the Ocean City Festival visit: www.visitplymouth.co.uk/oceancityfestival
For more information on Destination Plymouth visit: www.visitplymouth.co.uk
