Newmarket is the place for art lovers this year with the National Horse Racing Museum hosting one of the biggest showcases of contemporary art in the UK in 2023. Now the whole town is feeling the creative spirit with art sessions, art installations and other inspiring events, many of them free, taking over the streets.

Kids under 12 get in free to ‘Mutiny In Colour’, the blockbuster exhibition at the National Horse Racing Museum  starring globally renowned artists including Banksy, Damien Hirst, and Tracy Emin. And there’s a bumper offering for Banksy fans. Running alongside the show is ‘The 7: Banksy Under Siege’, a poignant set of life-size replicas of works created by the street artist amid the rubble of war-torn Ukraine. Plus, the museum is hosting the UK unveiling of Banksy’s ‘Love Is In The Air’, the iconic image of a masked protestor throwing a bunch of flowers, which first appeared in Jerusalem. Running until  1st October.

Don’t just look, touch, too. The museum is encouraging youngsters to express themselves at their summer  series of free expert-led street art workshops running from 11am-3pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 30th August. There’s a packed calendar of fun sessions where you can make colourful prints, learn art techniques using stencils and spray paints, customise caps and bags, turn 2D tag designs into mini sculptures, and find out more about the history of street art.

Artistic endeavours will help beat the boredom at the free Memorial Gardens Summer Entertainment events  every Thursday, 1pm-4pm, until 24th August. As well as brushing up artistic skills with encouragement from professional artists, there will be magic shows, circus skills workshops, animal experiences and theatrical performances. And if that doesn’t wear them out, there’s always the bouncy pirate ship.

Keep your eyes peeled for butterflies around town. Leave your net at home, though, these eye-catching flights of insects are installations commissioned by the business community organisation Love Newmarket. They are hosting free butterfly-themed activities, too. There will be a Butterfly Crafts Session at Studio Scribbles on 15th August, Butterfly Rock Painting at Memorial Gardens on 24th August, and Decorate and Paint Your Own Seeds at Waitrose on 1st September.

Butterflies aren’t the only works of art likely to stop you in your tracks as you roam the streets. To complement the museum’s exhibition, Discover Newmarket has launched Newmarket In Colour, which is transforming the town into a veritable outdoor gallery. Murals now add a splash of colour to the landscape, created by professional artists who have been busy working with local schoolchildren and community groups. Look out for them in Memorial Gardens, around the Leisure Centre, behind the National Horse Racing Museum and at the racecourse end of town.

There’s also a mural on Market Square, where artists and craftspeople will be laying out their wares at the upcoming West Suffolk Makers Market  from 9.30am-3pm on 12th August. Browse the stalls and buy your very own original work of art.

And while you’re on the trail of the murals, follow the Tiny Art Tour around town, too. Miniature galleries of artworks  have popped up at 17 locations, from Palace House to The Graze Kitchen. At some stops, you can even create your own tiny work. Pick up a map at participating venues and snap and share what you see using the hashtag #tinyartaroundtown.