Free outdoor charity art trail comes to Blackpool

Brian House Children’s Hospice – the charity behind Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool – has announced the date for the town’s first ever large-scale public art trail.

The free, family-friendly trail, which will see at least 30 large Elmer sculptures in key locations around Blackpool, will run for eight weeks from 13th April to 9th June 2024.

During that time, locals from across the Fylde coast as well as visitors to the resort will be able to ‘collect’ each Elmer sculpture, which will be individually designed and painted by artists, and earn rewards.

At the end of the trail, after 9th June, the Elmers will come together for a final farewell event – the only time the unique herd will come together – before they are sold at auction to raise money for Brian House.

Head of Fundraising, Linzi Warburton, said: “After working with Blackpool Council and other local partners, we are absolutely delighted to be able to announce the much-anticipated dates for Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool.

“We can’t wait to see our unique Elmers ‘on parade’ from 13th April and see the many thousands of people enjoying them in town and unlocking special rewards on our trail app throughout the eight weeks.

“We’ve had such an exciting few months welcoming new sponsors to the herd, and we really can’t wait for next spring, seeing our wonderful Elmers on display and raising money and awareness of our children’s hospice, supporting our area’s most fragile children.”

Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool is being brought to the town by Brian House in partnership with Wild in Art and Andersen Press. The Elmer sculptures are inspired by David McKee’s beloved children’s books, each uniquely decorated to create a truly unique experience for locals and visitors to discover and re-discover Blackpool.

Alongside the large Elmer sculptures will be a herd of Young Elmers, designed and painted by local schools and youth organisations as part of the trail’s Learning Programme and returned to them at the end of the trail to live in their forever home.

Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool is supported by Presenting Partners Thompson Contracts and Ameon, Learning Programme Sponsor Tower Insurance and Official Supporters Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL) and Beaverbrooks.

For more information about Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool and how your businesses can get involved, visit www.elmerblackpool.co.uk.