However, as New Year’s Eve approaches and we say goodbye to 2017, we’ve decided to take a look back at a few of the best bits of 2017 that have all played a part in making Newmarket among the best places to visit in Suffolk!
23rd June – 26th August 2017
It was another summer of fun in 2017 with some absolutely spectacular entertainment at Newmarket Racecourses for Newmarket Nights throughout June, July and August.
We saw the legendary Jacksons, the fabulous Culture Club, rockers Texas and James, amazing Little Mix, and sellout shows from Olly Murs and Jess Glynne!
Once again, these brilliant nights combined excellent racing with top notch entertainment and made for a brilliant way to party away those balmy summer evenings and once again cemented Newmarket as one of the best places to visit in Suffolk.
Find out more about The Adnams July Course here.
August 2017
We were delighted to be working together with racing legend, Bob Champion and online sensations Wocket Woy & the Pwoducer on the Discover Newmarket Race Day Tours this summer!
These special guests accompanied us on a few of our exclusive racecourse tours, taking our guests exclusively inside the Parade Ring to brush shoulders with jockeys, owners and trainers before a race!
We had an excellent time hosting such famous names – keep an eye out for special guests in 2018!
Find out more about our Race Day Tour here.
16th-17th September 2017
Once again, the fabulous Newmarket Open Weekend did not fail to disappoint! This brilliant community event saw some of Newmarket’s most famous and most exclusive locations open their doors to the public to excite, educate and exhilarate!
Some of these fantastic organisations included the National Stud, Newmarket Equine Hospital, the British Racing School, The Jockey Club Rooms, Tattersalls, the famed Newmarket Gallops, Rossdales Equine Hospital and many top-class trainers’ yards!
On top of all this, there were demonstrations, tours, talks and not to mention the fantastic Food & Drink Festival which took place in and around Palace House!
A thoroughly enjoyable weekend – we cant wait for next year!
Find out more about Newmarket Open Weekend here.
16th-17th September 2017
This year’s Food & Drink Festival took place during Newmarket Open Weekend and occupied a new location in and around Palace House.
This new location was a fantastic success, with cooked food stalls and various suppliers all offering the very best in local fresh produce! We also cant forget the fantastic cookery demonstrations from celebrity chefs, Theo Randall, Oz Clarke and Sophie Grigson!
2018’s Newmarket Food & Drink Festival promises to be even bigger and better and we cant wait!
Find out more about the Newmarket Food & Drink Festival here.
October and December 2017
The 2017 October Yearling Sale Book 1 lived up to its name of ‘Europe’s Premier Yearling Sale’ and more when it broke the record for the highest price for a yearling anywhere in the world in 2017.
This amazing benchmark was set when the Galileo filly, Gloam, out of the Grade 1 Breeder’s Cup winner, Dank, sold for 4,000,000 guineas! This sale also took the accolade of second-highest priced yearling filly ever sold at public auction.
However, even more impressively, the December Mare Sale saw four-year-old filly, Marsha, become the highest-priced horse ever sold at a European auction when she was bought by Coolmore’s MV Magnier for 6,000,000 guineas!
If you would like a chance to witness a record sale next year with one of our expert guides on hand to give you all the insider’s advice, book yourself onto our Tattersalls Tour which takes you behind the scenes on a sale day at this historic place.
Find out more about our Tattersalls Tour here.
October 2017
Back in October, we were extremely proud and excited to hear that Newmarket’s National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art had been named Suffolk Museum of the Year 2017! If that doesnt make Newmarket one of the best places to visit in Suffolk then what does?
The Awards are run by the Association for Suffolk Museums and partnered by the EADT, BBC Radio Suffolk and the University of Suffolk. They aim to celebrate the hard work and dedication of all museums across Suffolk and the teams of loyal volunteers that make them what they are.
Palace House saw off stiff competition to win the award which this year enjoyed a record-breaking number of entries. A well-deserved win for a fantastic attraction!
Find out more about Palace House here.
14th November 2017
In November we ran the extra-special Enable Tour which allowed our guests to meet three racing legends in one day: trainer, John Gosden and champion racehorses Enable and Frankel!
This one-off tour introduced lucky guests to John Gosden and Enable, fresh from their win at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, before taking them to Juddmonte Farms where they met legend of the turf, Frankel.
This exclusive tour was our season highlight and sold out very quickly indeed. Keep an eye on our website to find out what we have in store for 2018 so you can make sure you don’t miss out!
2017
This year, Discover Newmarket teamed up with the National Stud to follow the progress of a newborn foal born at the Stud! We brought you regular updates on our cheeky little chap as he prepared for his career in racing.
The highlight of the competition was when we offered one of our fans via social media the chance to meet our foal in the flesh. Our lucky winner, Deborah, had a fantastic time at the beautiful National Stud and was even lucky enough to hand feed him!
Keep an eye on our social media feeds for more amazing competitions in 2018!
With amazing racing, fantastic heritage, legendary musical acts and beautiful surroundings, Newmarket is without a doubt one of the best places to visit in Suffolk.
Discover Newmarket is the tourism hub for the town and offers you the chance to go behind the scenes at some of its world-famous attractions and learn about its rich heritage.
Book up a tour today and find out for yourself that when it comes to places to visit in Suffolk, Newmarket is right up there with the best!
17/03/2025
Light Up The Town: Success with Community-Created Illuminations
Success of Multi-Town Light Art Project Heralds New Era of Cultural Collaboration Across Fenland and West Suffolk, where communities gathered to experience their familiar surroundings in an extraordinary new light.
04/03/2025
Bradsell: First mares scanned in foal
European Champion Sprinter Bradsell has had his first mares scanned in foal including Final Rendezvous, a half-sister to Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes winner La Lune, and Lady Eleanor, a daughter of multiple stakes winner Firenze.
24/02/2025
2025 Marks 50 Years of Lunging Rein Art
This year marks the 50th anniversary of a Newmarket landmark which, at a time of huge change for the town, was seen to represent a link between its past and its future.
20/02/2025
NARS Equine Photography Exhibition and Awards
NARS, otherwise known as the National Association of Racing Staff, is an independent union for stable staff employed by licensed racehorse trainers.
12/02/2025
Clothed in Glory: Ely Cathedral’s Unmissable Exhibition
A colourful exhibition of exquisite embroidery from the archives of the Community of the Sisters of the Church is on public display for the very first time in Ely Cathedral’s Lady Chapel.
07/02/2025
Love is in the air in Newmarket
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you have yet to make those romantic plans, whether it be with a loved one, or simply time with friends, then fear not, as we’ve pulled together a list of Valentine’s offerings we think are well worth checking out.
20/01/2025
See the Snowdrops in Full Bloom at Chippenham Park
Small, but perfectly formed, snowdrops are a joy to behold on a winter walk through the Cambridgeshire countryside.
14/01/2025
Winter Walking in Newmarket – The Three Churches Walk
January is here and Christmas seems but a distant memory, so now’s the time to banish those blues and get out and about in the fresh air to explore.
