Fordingbridge Events Group and Fordingbridge Town Council have completed the programme of the final timings and line-up for the Jubilee picnic event at Fordingbridge Recreation Ground, which will take place on 2 June from 3.30pm to 10pm. The picnic is free to attend.

The family event is also being supported by Fordingbridge Rotary Group and it will be a fantastic opportunity for the local community to enjoy festivities and chill out with a day’s worth of amusement to kick off the bank holiday.

There will be a fully licensed bar and hot food provided by Fordingbridge Sports Club, The Crown and Mays and the butcher. You will also be able to pick up prepaid hampers from The George. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their own picnic and clear up after themselves. Portable BBQs or open fires are not permitted.

The Jubilee bunting for Fordingbridge town has been made possible with donations from All the Cool Stuff, Adrian Dowding and the Fordingbridge Events Group.

Cllr Pete White, who is also part of the Fordingbridge Events Group, said: “The entertainment we have arranged on the day includes several bands, a choir, Crazy Kev – who you may remember from the Fordingbridge Festival – as well as Best Disco taking us through seven decades of tunes. It’s going to be a picnic with a difference.”

The programme: 3.30pm Best Disco – 1950s; 3.30pm-5.30pm Krazy Kev (comedy magic shows with mix and mingle balloon modelling); 4pm Fayrewood; 4.30pm Best Disco – 1960s; 5pm Fayrewood; 5.30pm Best Disco – 1970s/duck race for 30 mins; 6pm One Voice; 6.30pm Best Disco – 1980s; 7pm Sarah Hilton; 7.30pm Best Disco – 1990s; 8pm Stumble – covers band; 9pm Best Disco 2000s; 9.09pm Best Disco – 2010s; 9.30pm Hyde Band playing fanfare; 9.45pm lighting of beacon; 10pm Best Disco – 2020s.

A new beacon will be installed on the Recreation Ground so the town can be part of the beacon lighting all over the country and the council is planting a Hornbeam tree to be a lasting reminder. The lighting of the beacon will take place at 9.45pm but if you want to get into the spirit beforehand, you can see the beacon being delivered through Fordingbridge by heavy horse on the 20 May. The beacon will be leaving St Mary’s Church at 2pm to go through Fordingbridge town and over the bridge to the Fordingbridge Recreation Ground. The delivery should take approximately 30 minutes.

The Rotary Club will also hold its charity duck race. First prize is £500, second prize is £200, and third prize is £100. Tickets for the duck race will be available from the Rotary team who will be selling them from outside the Co-op over the coming weeks. Businesses looking to purchase a corporate ticket can do so for £25 with a case of wine on offer as the prize. All money raised from the duck race will be going to local community projects.

More details/information about the day can be found at fordingbridgeevents.com and from the town council website.