Scarborough Seafest

Scarborough Seafest is the Yorkshire coast's celebration of its maritime heritage, and it brings the harbour and seafront alive with a weekend of fresh seafood, live music, cookery demonstrations, and nautical entertainment. Held annually in Scarborough's picturesque South Bay harbour area, this free festival draws thousands of visitors for a weekend that captures everything that is special about the Yorkshire seaside. From Heath's Motorhome Hire in Pontefract, Scarborough is approximately one hour and twenty minutes' drive via the A64 through York — a pleasant route that takes you from the flatlands of West Yorkshire through the rolling countryside of the Vale of York and over the Wolds toward the coast.

The festival centres on the harbour, where fishing boats, lifeboat displays, and tall ships create a working backdrop to the festivities. The quayside fills with stalls selling freshly caught seafood — crab, lobster, mackerel, whitby scampi, and smoked kippers from the traditional smokehouses along the coast. Cookery demonstrations from local chefs show you how to prepare the catch, and the aromas drifting through the harbour area are enough to make anyone hungry. Local restaurants and fish and chip shops join in, many offering special Seafest menus and deals throughout the weekend.

Live music stages are set up along the seafront and harbour, featuring local bands, sea shanty groups, and acoustic performers. The atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly — children run between the stalls, dogs trot alongside their owners on the promenade, and the whole event has the feel of a proper community celebration rather than a corporate production. Craft stalls sell maritime-themed art, jewellery, and gifts, and there are usually displays of traditional boat-building, rope-making, and net-mending to watch.

Scarborough itself is a town with genuine depth. The castle, perched on a dramatic headland between the North Bay and South Bay, has dominated the coastline since the twelfth century and offers panoramic views along the coast in both directions. The Rotunda Museum, one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the country, tells the geological story of the Yorkshire coast. The Open Air Theatre, set in Northstead Manor Gardens above the North Bay, hosts major concerts and performances throughout the summer season. And of course, the beaches — wide, sandy, and backed by elegant Victorian promenades — are the town's greatest natural asset.

A motorhome is the perfect vehicle for a Scarborough Seafest weekend. Several campsites around Scarborough welcome motorhomes, including Scalby Close Park on the north side of town, Cayton Village Caravan Park to the south, and the Scarborough Camping and Caravanning Club Site near Filey Road. All are within easy reach of the harbour and seafront, and some offer sea views from their pitches. Book in advance during festival weekend, as the coastal sites fill up quickly in summer. For a more secluded option, Spiers House Campsite in the North York Moors National Park near Cropton is about 25 minutes inland and offers a peaceful retreat after the bustle of the festival.

The drive from Pontefract to Scarborough follows the A1(M) north to the A64, which runs east through York and across the Wolds. It is a lovely drive, particularly the final stretch as you drop down through the wooded valleys toward the coast and catch your first glimpse of the North Sea. Allow plenty of time for parking on festival days — the harbour area becomes pedestrianised, and parking in the town centre fills early. The park-and-ride service at Seamer is a reliable alternative, with regular buses into the town centre.

Extending your trip along the Yorkshire coast is highly recommended. Whitby, with its famous abbey ruins, harbourside fish and chips, and atmospheric old town, is just 20 miles north along the coast road. Robin Hood's Bay, where the Coast to Coast Walk meets the sea, sits between the two and is one of the most beautiful villages in England. Filey, to the south of Scarborough, has a quieter, more traditional seaside atmosphere and a gorgeous sandy beach backed by the Filey Brigg headland. A motorhome lets you hop between these coastal gems at your own pace.

Scarborough Seafest is a celebration of everything that makes the Yorkshire coast special — fresh food, maritime tradition, community spirit, and the simple pleasure of being by the sea. Combine it with a motorhome from Heath's and you have the makings of a memorable summer weekend on the coast.