Are you DorKing Coronation ready?
Dorking is certainly ready to celebrate its heritage, culture and spirit this weekend along with the rest of the country. We hope you will join us this weekend and especially on The Big Help Out, Monday the 8th May from 12 to 4pm, as we welcome locals and visitors to our town and celebrate Dorking’s sustainable heritage, volunteer spirit and local business heroes.
Here’s what’s on:
We have a variety of activities designed to spotlight and celebrate what makes our town so special, and also aligns to the King’s ethos of supporting sustainability, volunteerism and local businesses. You can find Dorking on the official coronation.gov map and you can also download our map and mini-programme and official digital programme before the big event. Not to worry, we will have printed maps available on the day.
It all begins with our wonderful community.
| St Martin’s Walk | Dorking Halls | High Street | South St Gardens/Waitrose | United Reform Church (URC) |
| Volunteer Village, Sustainable Market Face Painting Live music: 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 | Volunteer Village, Food Truck Live music: 12:15, 13:15, 15:00 | Volunteer Village, Henna Artist | Volunteer Village, Sustainable Market Awards at 14:00 Live music: 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 15:15 | Face Painting Crafts for kids Live performance: 12:00 |
Selfies at all locations with (cardboard) ‘Royals’.
Check out our Coronation activities
- We’re offering a free, fun Coronation Window art trail. Download the Dorking LoyalFree app and complete the trail for a chance to win a wonderful hamper at Waitrose. Visit each location to view the beautiful art work by Sam TM – here’s how it works: Scan 10 QR codes and be entered into a prize draw to receive a Royal hamper from Waitrose. Scan ALL QR codes and be entered into a prize draw to win the Grand Prize King’s Coronation hamper from Waitrose. Sam has already started drawing this week. Follow this wonderful artist’s progress on Hello Dorking socials.
- Enjoy our open-air art exhibition (banners around town and posters in shops) featuring the winners of our community artwork competition.
- ‘The Big Help Out’ Volunteer Village and sustainable market: St Martin’s Walk, Dorking Halls and Sports Centre, High Street, and South Street Gardens
- Family entertainment: forest school, face painting and selfies with the ‘Royal family’ and corgis
- Live entertainment (choral society, brass band, show choir)
- Awards ceremony announcing and celebrating our sustainability champion, volunteer of the year, and high street business hero at South Street Gardens (2pm)
- Taster sessions at Dorking Sports Centre
- Dorking Museum exhibition at Dorking Library
How can you get involved?
What better way to celebrate our town than to focus on Dorking’s wonderful community? We know that placemaking events like the Coronation and Jubilee have historically generated upwards of £6.37B in revenue nationally, and £3B in sales for pubs and restaurants alone. However our free event is a celebration of Dorking’s community, which is why we are focused on bringing everyone together to celebrate our community heroes (and sheroes!).
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Come into Dorking for the event
- Pop into our lovely shops
- Take photos
- Share your day with us
- Take a photo with your favourite artwork
- Volunteer on the day or after!
- Share your experiences
But most of all, we want you to enjoy yourselves and experience our lovely town. Join our community and say hello to Dorking.
Our DorKing Coronation celebrates the best of our business community, volunteers, and sustainable, local focus. We are aiming to shine a light on what’s right here on our doorstep for all to see. We hope that our event will be the kick-off to something truly meaningful for everyone – whether that’s committing to support local high street businesses, adopting a new sustainable practice, or volunteering in the community. We are embracing and sharing ‘The Big Help Out’ message and hope that locals and visitors alike will join us.
Parking is free on the day and Dorking is served by three train stations.
Download our DorKing Coronation Official Map
Download our DorKing Coronation Official Programme
Meet our Award-winning Artists
Meet our Community Spirit Award Nominees
Meet our Volunteer Village and Sustainable Market Stall Holders
Meet our Community Spirit Judges
