It is one of a number of events taking place, with a gala, a party in the park and a traditional fair and flower festival also lined up for the weekend.

On Saturday Scarborough will welcome soldiers from the Second Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment in a Freedom Parade to mark their return to the UK after a recent tour of Afghanistan.

The battalion will be exercising its right to march through the town, which will also allow members of the public to show their appreciation for their bravery and hard work.

The parade will start at 10.45am at the William Street coach and car park and will follow a route to the Spa Complex via Castle Road, Aberdeen Walk, Westborough, Huntriss Row, Falconers Road and St Nicholas Street, where there will be a salute at 11am as the regiment passes the Town Hall.

The parade will then continue along St Nicholas Street, on to Eastborough, Newborough, Foreshore Road and the Spa slip road before arriving at the Spa at 11.35am.

A military ceremony, inspection and reception will follow before the regiment departs.

The weekend will also mark the culmination of the week-long Scalby Fair and one of the highlights will be the flower festival.

This starts at 7.30pm on Friday and singer John Mitchell, accompanied by Sue Parker on piano, will perform at the opening of the festival in St Laurence's Church.

That festival continues over the weekend between 10am and 5pm.

Scalby Fair on Saturday, with its 50 stalls, will be opened at 1pm by Scarborough town crier Alan Booth accompanied by Miss Scarborough, Jade Saunders.

There will be morris dancing and performances by the Dance Warehouse and Irish dancers plus a barbecue.

The Party in the Park in Peasholm on Sunday between 10am and 4pm will be opened officially by Scarborough mayor Eileen Vickers accompanied by the town crier, Alan Booth.

Christine Mark, chairman of the Friends of Peasholm Park, said: "There will be guided walks through the Glen – leading to the beautifully refurbished lily pond where people can now sit on and admire the fabulous new seat.

"It was designed by three Scarborough schoolgirls and manufactured by Mark Anderson Fabrications of Roscoe Street."

There will also be Norwegian marching bands, displays of martial arts from the Premier Martial Arts Club, t'ai chi from the East West Taoist Association, Bonsai from the Scarborough and District Bonsai Group and songs from the Scarborough in Song Community Choir.

Zimmermann's Art Group will be holding workshops and have a display of their art – and there will be more art from the Cayton Art Group, chainsaw sculpture, birds of prey, storytelling and other events.

Ms Mark said: "The party can go ahead this year because we have generously been awarded two £1,000 grants from the Yorkshire Coast and Moors and the Scarborough Urban area committees and £200 from Help the Aged.