Events taking place during the countdown to Tour de France

For the first time in the Tour’s history, a 100-day cultural festival will run prior to and alongside the event.

Everything kicks off today, March 27.

Organisers say the 100-day festival offers Yorkshire a unique and exceptional opportunity for arts, cultural organisations, and artists be showcased on a scale that has not been seen in the region before.

York's own arts and cultural festival to mark the countdown to the Tour de France coming to the city has also been launched today.

York’ Be Part Of It, organised by City of York Council with the help of organisations and residents across the city, is designed to create a 100-day buzz as anticipation rises ahead of the Grand Depart.

More details of York events are at york.gov.uk/tourdefrance, with a full list of Yorkshire events at yorkshirefestival.co.uk.

You can also follow Yorkshirefestival and Yorkfestivals on facebook, and @YFEST2014 and @York_Festivals on twitter. And if you’re planning to celebrate the Grand Depart, email TdF.york@york.gov.uk.

Contact the venues to book.

What's on

• Landscape photography exhibition inspired by the Yorkshire landscape, running now until July 6, at 89 Micklegate in York.

• Yorkshire Art and Artists, featuring a display of paintings of locations along the route, Kentmere House Gallery, 53 Scarcroft Hill, York, today.

• York Literature Festival, March 27-31.

• Racing Hard - William Fotheringham, March 27.

• Yorkshire Art & Artists Exhibition, March 27.

• Music for Passiontide – concerts by St Peter’s School choir and orchestra in York Minster Chapter House, on March 27 and 29 and April 5 and 12. Contact York Minster to book.

• York Open Studios Launch Exhibition, March 27-April 13.

• Royals: Then and Now – Warhol, Levine, Testino and more, March 27-July 6.

• Road Through York Project, March 27-July 6.

• Martin Taylor jazz convert at National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, March 28.

• Grand Depart Exhibition, March 28.

• Planting the City Yellow Project, March 28-July 6.

• African drumming workshops in St Peter’s Church (Brostoff Hall), Cambridge Road, Harrogate, March 30, April 13 and June 29.

• York Spoken Word Poetry & Prose Open Mic, April 1.

• Continental Market, April 2-6.

• David Lee Morgan: Science, Love and Revolution, April 3.

• Twelfth Night, April 3-12.

• York Open Studios exhibition with a Grand Depart theme, running in Blossom Street on the weekends of April 4-6 and 12-13.

• Hidden Cycles (Life Cycles) with York Bike Belles: Spring Into Cycling!, April 5.

• True Grit digital poetry cycle workshops, including at Rural Arts in Thirsk from 10am to midday on April 5, and Harrogate Theatre from 2pm to 4pm on May 24.

• Sing As You Go – theatre event to mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, Christ Church, The Stray, Harrogate, April 5, 7.30pm.

• Spirit of Smokie – songs by the band, The Frazer Theatre, off High Street in Knaresborough, April 6.

• Song Box, April 7-11.

• Made in Yorkshire Market, April 9-13.

• Mokoomba – pan-African music, National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York, April 10.

• York Open Studios 2014, April 11-13.

• Hamish Blakely Exhibition, April 12-27.

• Art Yorkshire: From Turner to Hockney, art exhibition at The Mercer Gallery, 31 Swan Road, Harrogate, April 12 to October 12.

• National Student Drama Festival, The Spa Complex, Hull University’s Scarborough campus, Scarborough, April 12-18.

• Heidi Talbot, folk singer, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, April 14.

• Dress to Impress - Flags and Banners project, April 15-July 6.

• Chocolate Festival, April 18-21.

• Rocking Horse Day, Burnby Hall, Pocklington, April 23, 10am to 5.30pm, last entry at 4.30pm.

• The Woolly Bike Trail – stories, yarns and knitted art, various venues including Woodend Gallery Space, The Crescent , Scarborough, April 24-25.

• Twin Cities Concert, April 25.

• Monday’s Child, April 26.

• International Festival of Faith & Culture, April 26-27.

• Spring Fayre, May 1-5.

• Springboard Festival, May 3.

• YO1 Festival, May 4.

• Day for Night (La Nuit Américaine), May 9.

• York Fair Trade Festival, May 10.

• York Festival of New Music, May 10.

• Tour De Cinema, outdoor cinema screenings of films about cycling, various venues including Nunnington Hall from 5pm to 11pm on May 10, and Fountains Abbey from 6pm to 11pm on June 14.

• Love Arts York, May 12-30.

• Create Festival, May 13-June 2.

• Le Tour de France Quilt Museum, May 16-August 30.

• Grand de Part Sunflower Display in York Minster, May 19.

• Milk’ for Milk Day, May 22.

• Monday’s Child, May 22-24.

• Just 30 Fair, May 24.

• Song Box, May 26-30.

• Made in Yorkshire Market, May 29-June 1.

• Hidden Cycles (Life Cycle), June 7-July 6.

• Bike Story in Schools, June 2-July 14.

• York Arts Academy at St Crux, June 6.

• Le Grand Voyage – join Harrogate Theatre’s virtual peloton and star in your own Tour de France, thanks to the playful ambitions of Il Pixel Rosso, Harrogate Theatre, June 6-7 and July 5-6.

• Incredible Edible Bike Rides, June 6-28.

• Selby Globe Bike Film Festival, June 7.

• Le Tour-themed Summer Proms Concert, The Royal Hall, Ripon Road, Harrogate, June 7.

• Little Feet Festival Of Children’s Theatre, June 10-14.

• All Things weird and Wonderful, June 12.

• York Festival of Ideas, June 12-22.

• York Carnival, June 14.

• Festival of Ideas, June 12-22.

• York Curiouser, June 14-July 7.

• Bike Belles Poetry Picnic, June 18.

• On Your Bike oral history exhibition, Royal Pump Room Museum, Crown Place, Harrogate, June 18-July 6.

• Transmission Dance, June 19-22.

• Breaking Away, June 20.

• Bike Story: Whats Yours?, June 21.

• The Apollo Festival, June 21.

• York Food & Drink Festival, June 20-28.

• York Music Hub Festival, June 21.

• York LGBT Pride, June 21.

• Cycle the Solar System, June 20-21.

• Tour De Brass: Brassed On, June 21-22.

• Transmission - Explore the installation, June 21-22.

• Tour and Detour art exhibition, York & District Indoor Bowls Club, 302 Thanet Road, York, June 21-July 6.

• Yorkshire “Le Tour” Painting Exhibition, Blue Tree Gallery, 23 Bootham, York, June 22-August 25.

• The Really Big Sing, Scarborough Open-Air Theatre, Burniston Road, Scarborough, June 24, 1.45pm.

• Life Cycle at Harrogate Theatre, collected thoughts and voices of cyclists, June 24-25.

• Copmanthorpe Carnival, June 28.

• Boulevard St Leonard’s – recreation of a Parisienne boulevard in the centre of York with theatre, art and displays, music, cafe and bars, June 28-July 8.

• Swear By The Moon, June 27-29.

• Life Cycles, June 28.

• West Bank Park Summer Fair, June 29.

• Maintenant (now), June 29-July 6.

• The Peloton Art Exhibition, July 1-31.

• Hit the Road Jacques, July 3.

• St Leonard’s cycles York, July 3.

• Cis & Barbishe, July 3-5.

• Yorkshire Tour Patchwork and Quilting Exhibition, Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Road, Harrogate, July 4-6.

• Holgate Windmill Open Weekend, July 5-6.

• Grand Dé-party on July 6, featuring Le Grand Riding Lights, On Yer Bike’ Festival of Music, Art and Poetry, Mass Sing & Sign, Golden Ball Tour de France Festival, Spectator Hubs, street parties, live music, street theatre and more to celebrate the day the Tour de France comes to York.