Yorkshire Day is an annual event that promotes and celebrates the county of Yorkshire. It is observed on August 1 every year. The county of Yorkshire offers a wealth of beauty and heritage, from luscious scenic moors and national parks, to historical ruins and archaeological delights.
Yorkshire Day was first celebrated in 1975 by the Yorkshire Ridings Society. It began as part of a protest movement against local government reforms that came into force in 1974. The celebrations originally started with just a reading, but now the day involves anything to do with Yorkshire, from local cuisine and confectionery, to its rich historic past.
The decision to mark Yorkshire Day with an annual civic gathering of Mayors, Lord Mayors, their attendants and other dignitaries ‘in full costume and regalia’ was taken at a meeting of Local Authorities within the boundary of the old county of Yorkshire i.e. the three ridings and York and The Yorkshire Society at County Hall, Wakefield, on 29 June 1985.
The Yorkshire Society was then charged with the guardianship of the idea and organising the annual event, which now forms the centerpiece and focal point for the celebrations undertaken across the whole county.