Eventful New Year for Blackburn BID

29th December 2014

Two major festivals will take place in Blackburn next year, aimed at bringing thousands of visitors to the town centre.  They will be organised and promoted by the Blackburn BID (Business Improvement District) team who were behind the successful Blackburn Heritage Festival in September and the ‘Be Surprised’ multi-platform marketing campaign.

 ‘Countryside Comes to Town’ on Saturday 20 June will feature a pop up petting farm on King William Street, Shaun the Sheep, maypole dancing, community costume making and performance and a bee parade featuring a giant Queen Bee. There will be an Ugly Bug Ball on the Cathedral gardens where there will be performance stage with straw bale arena seating.  BBC CBeebies children’s television star, Mr Bloom will appear in The Mall. A theatrical installation featuring a 20 foot inflatable PIG by theatre company, Whalley Range All Stars will be outside the town hall.  Other attractions include a creepy crawlies insect roadshow, vintage tractors and the chance for children to have a go at milking Matilda a full size replica cow from the Hodder Valley Show.

September see’s the return of the Blackburn Heritage Festival which encourages visitors to discover the hidden history of the town centre.  Last year’s history themed weekend coincided with the UK’s Heritage Open Day event and listed over 100 events and activities over 2 days.  Planning has begun to include vintage hop-off hop on buses to enable visitors to get around all the sites including Corporation Park and Eanam Wharf.  A vintage fairground including helter skelter, carousel and big wheel will be on King William Street.

The events will be listed in Marketing Lancashire’s ‘Visit Lancashire’ tourism brochure which is published in the New Year and will be distributed to visitor centres and tourist centres across the UK.  Blackburn BID Manager Harriet Roberts is organising the events and has appealed for community organisations, crafts people and food traders to get involved.  Further details of pitches and opportunities for traders and community organisers are on the BID website, www.blackburnbid.co.uk.