Grim FalFest is a Viking festival taking place in Grimsby town centre from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September 2023.
It was created by a group of local residents and business people to help celebrate the town’s Viking heritage and to make residents and visitors aware of its legendary founder - Grim the Viking. The three-day event also helps to celebrate the town’s continuing links with Scandinavia, original home of many of today’s businesses in the area.
Viking re-enactment groups will descend on the town and setup camp to give a glimpse of how life might’ve looked thousands of years ago.
Families are at the heart of the event, with lots of activities for children and a world of Vikings to explore.
As the event continues to go from strength-to-strength, the hope is that it will become a new, yearly celebration that takes place every September – a traditional time of Viking feasts and autumn celebrations.
Having come up with the idea for the event, the local team partnered with Heritage Lincolnshire, the county’s history and heritage charity, to put plans into action. Along with support from York Archaeological Trust - founders of the Jorvik Festival - and the team at North East Lincolnshire Council, the event began to take shape.
Thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project has grown to become a yearlong programme of Viking activities taking place in schools and community groups across the town until September 2023.
The event will be taking place across Grimsby including St James’ Square, the banks of the River Haven close to the Fishing Heritage Centre and People’s Park.
Yes, the entire weekend of events is free and accessible to the whole community. As we count down to the festival, we will also be holding a series of free Viking craft activities in Freshney Place Shopping Centre, beginning on Sunday 6th August. More details can be found on our social media channels.
Stagecoach has bus routes into Grimsby from Hull, Lincoln, Cleethorpes and surrounding areas. More information on routes and times can be found here.
Trains to Grimsby run every few hours on the Northern Trains, Cleethorpes to Barton-Upon-Humber line, and East Midlands runs services every few hours from Lincoln and Newark. Up-to-date information on times and prices can be found here.
There are also cycle routes into the town centre with bike racks available at Grimsby Town Station.
Free parking is available at the Grimsby Institute on Nuns’ Corner, which is just a five-minute walk People’s Park.
Public toilet facilities are in Freshney Place Shopping Centre and there are portaloos located in Fisherman's Wharf and People's Park (including accessible toilets). Some event facilities will also be available on the day.
As this is a public event, access and facilities are already accounted for and available at Freshney Place Shopping Centre and Grimsby Minster. An additional disabled toilet will be in People’s Park. An accessible viewing area will be in position to give disabled visitors a view of the Battle Arena in People’s Park. If you have any further questions about accessibility, please email: info@grimfalfest.com
Yes, food stalls will be in the market near the Fishing Heritage Centre from 5pm on Friday 8th September. Food stalls will be available in People’s Park on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September Restaurants, bistros and food retailers will also be open across the town centre across the weekend.
There will be clearly signposted first aid tents at the River Haven and People’s Park. Mobile first responders will be patrolling St James’ Square for the duration of the event.
Yes, we have sponsorship packages with a range of promotional benefits available to businesses who through corporate responsibility, community engagement, marketing or just want to ‘put something back’ into their community. We are also offering space for market stall holders. who want to be a part of the event. For more information, please email: info@grimfalfest.com
Yes, you can! We are looking for volunteer ambassadors to come on board and help. Please email info@grimfalfest.com for more information and we will be in touch.
Grim FalFest launched in 2022 and is taking place again in 2023 thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The future of Grim FalFest depends on support from the business community of North East Lincolnshire. York’s Viking Festival has been running for 38 years thanks to support from the people of the city and its business community, who celebrate their Viking heritage, put on activities for local people and welcome thousands of visitors to the city every year. We have some amazing partners and aim for the festival to return again next year. If you represent a business or organisation who would like to put something back into the community, to sponsor or support this event, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch by emailing: info@grimfalfest.com
We would love to hear your thoughts on what you would like to see at future Grim FalFest events. After you’ve explored the festival, let us know what you enjoyed, what you liked and if you have ideas on what you would like to see next year, let us know by emailing: info@grimfalfest.com
