Unusual UK events in March.

March's odder outings can involve a horse, a sack of coal, a handful of marbles or another adult slung over your shoulder. The UK Wife Carrying Race and Kiplingcotes Derby make for very different racing days, while Gawthorpe’s coal-carrying championship loads the runners with an extra burden. Read the individual event descriptions to choose between watching a course unfold and spending time at a wider local gathering. The most improbable race name isn't automatically the best fit for everyone.

There's a gentler ceremonial thread too. The Tichborne Dole centres on handing out flour and the story behind it, while the Oranges and Lemons Service brings a familiar rhyme into a church occasion. These traditions are best understood on their own terms, with particular people and purposes at their heart. Check whether visitors can attend the part you're interested in, and remember that watching in public is different from receiving something meant for a school group or local families.

When Easter falls in March, the holiday customs add another layer. Bacup’s Coconut Dancers, Heptonstall’s Pace Egg Play, Hallaton’s bottle kicking and the marbles championship at Tinsley Green make a wonderfully varied selection. A play rewards listening, a dance rewards staying for the whole sequence, and a mass game needs spectators who understand the playing space. Choose the experience as well as the place, rather than cramming every Easter custom into one hurried weekend.

Easter moves between March and April, so go by the dated cards and calendar rather than relying on an event's usual month. The map shows which outings really are near where you want to be. Confirm the next edition and its admission or entry rules before organising the rest of the journey. Where the programme is still incomplete, keep the appealing idea separate from any promised timetable. One well-chosen ceremony or contest can make the whole day memorable without needing a second event to justify the trip.