Deck chairs, cushions, picnic blankets and lawn games invite all to come together for a Coronation Big Lunch where people can chat and get to know one another while watching the historic ceremony on the Saturday.
Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic feast or tuck into the celebratory menu on offer, including Coronation chicken sandwiches, cakes and Pimm’s, available to purchase from Eden’s catering venues.
The weekend will be filled with inspiring talks, live music and engaging activities with local worthy causes to shine a spotlight on the importance of making community connections and opportunities to learn about the charity and volunteer sector.
On Sunday, visitors can look forward to a range of talks in the Mediterranean Biome’s Citrus Grove, with Paralympic medallist, presenter and author Ade Adepitan MBE topping the bill. Ade will be talking about connecting with each other and with nature, inclusivity and climate change.
He will be joined by chef, food educator and author of Eating for Pleasure, People and Planet, Tom Hunt, who will be sharing his knowledge on food sustainability and YES (Youth Environmental Service), which will be hosting a panel making a case for youth-led change.
Throughout the weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in 15 Minutes for the Future drop-in activities with local charities, such as Knit for Peace – a community of knitters who donate their creations to worthy causes. Treverbyn Community Hall will host a mobile repair café for old electronics to be fixed and regifted. Our Only World will be hosting crafts to create eco-restorative sea wall tiles.
On the Sunday, live music will fill the air with a brass band and local musicians performing in various locations, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
Encouraging connections and community, FACEBACK will invite people to have their face turned into a badge, with a mission to then seek out their own face pinned to another visitor to spark a random encounter.
Eden’s Chief Purpose Officer, Peter Stewart, said: “The Coronation weekend is a momentous event for the Eden Project, and we are honoured to be hosting such an occasion.
“We are immensely proud that Her Majesty The Queen Consort is patron of The Big Lunch. As the home of the event our goal for the weekend here at Eden is to create space where communities can come together to celebrate this historic moment and each other.
“Tens of thousands of events will see millions of people sharing friendship, food and fun at Coronation Big Lunch celebrations UK-wide as people get to know one another better where they live. We believe that bringing people together to share in such experiences is crucial to building stronger, more resilient communities.
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors to our special flagship event at Eden as the nation celebrates and we hope they’ll leave feeling inspired and motivated to make a positive difference in their own communities.”
The Monday following the Coronation weekend will feature a volunteering fair for The Big Help Out, where visitors can learn more about how they can help their community. The fair will be centred around the Coronation themes of youth, diversity, sustainability and community.
Eden will also be celebrating its own Volunteer Royalty during the weekend with a picture gallery shining the spotlight on their exceptional stories. Volunteers are crucial to supporting Eden’s mission to connect people with nature and are involved across a multitude of areas, from social prescribing and gardening to being a friendly face for visitors day-to-day and at iconic events such as the Eden Sessions concerts.
The Big Lunch is the UK’s annual community celebration for neighbours and communities bringing millions of people together in a nationwide act of community friendship on the first weekend in June every year since 2009. It’s an idea from the Eden Project made possible by The National Lottery and is supported by PG tips, Iceland and The Food Warehouse, the Pears Foundation and The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust.
Pre-booking arrival slots for all visitors, including 25s and under, is strongly encouraged at www.edenproject.com.
