Fun for all the Family this Summer!
25 July 2016
by Visit Blackpool
There’s something for all the family this summer in Blackpool.
Blackpool Council’s latest information guide to events around the town this summer has been released, with over two hundred different events, activities and offers.
The Family Information Guide can be downloaded from www.blackpool.gov.uk/fis or by calling 0800 092 2332.
Events range from messy play for young children to dolphin spotting from the Solaris Centre, with a range of sports camps, mums sessions and family walks taking place over the summer holidays.
As part of the plans to get children into the outdoors this summer, the popular Love Parks Week events are also returning to Stanley Park, with family sports days, treasure hunts, arts and crafts and even archery available for people to try out.
All the events over the course of the Love Parks Week are free to take part in but some require booking in advance by calling 478358.
At the same time, the popular week-long sports camps are returning to Blackpool Sports Centre and Palatine Leisure Centre from 25th July to 2nd September, along with an extra outdoor adventure camp taking place in August.
The camps are aimed at children between five and twelve years old and offer them the chance to learn new skills, make friends and have fun throughout the day, while parents can be safe in the knowledge that they are being looked after and kept entertained while they are at work.
Prices for the sports camps vary with parents able to book half days, full days or the entire week. To find out more or to book, contact 478474 or go to www.blackpool.gov.uk/sport
Cllr Graham Cain, Cabinet Secretary for Blackpool Council, said: “Summer is the perfect time to get the whole family out of the house and spending some quality time together.
“Whatever the weather, there is always something for you to do, whether that is exploring Stanley Park, searching for nature or going for a swim.
“Even better, a lot of the activities in the family guide are free to attend, including the Love Parks Week and the nature watching. Of course, families can also enjoy walks on our award winning beaches and through the improved Marton Mere nature reserve completely free of charge.
“Whichever of the many activities people choose to do doesn’t really matter, they all offer something slightly different and are a great way of getting children off the sofa and doing something active.”
Top free activities for the family this Summer:
From 22nd – 30th July, there are a huge range of free activities for the family at Stanley Park. From sports days to bug hunts, hat making to archery practice, there is something for all the family. Most activities start from the visitor centre or the sports centre. To find out more, download the Family Information Guide and call 478358 to book.
- Whale and Dolphin Watching
Yes, really. Dolphins, porpoises and seals are regularly spotted off Blackpool’s coast now the water is cleaner, with a number already spotted in July. Join in with the free watching sessions from various parts of the coastline between 23rd – 31st July – just remember to bring your binoculars! To find out more, download the Family Information Guide.
Get partying at this year’s switch-on festival. This year’s Illuminations will be switched-on on Friday 2nd September, with popular boy band The Vamps set to perform at the show, as well as a special set from dance group Diversity. Although the switch-on star is still set to be unveiled, it’s certain to be a great free evening. Even better, it’s free to attend and you can apply for wristbands at www.visitblackpool.com/switchon
Splash about at our leisure centres with the free swimming offer. Everyone under sixteen can swim for free at Moor Park and Palatine leisure centres throughout the school holidays, so long as they are accompanied by a paying adult.
The Steps to Health scheme organises a number of family walks around the town, aiming to get people up off the sofa and carrying out thirty minutes of moderate activity. The walks set off from a variety of locations around town every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. For a list of locations, search for Steps to Health on our website or call 478007.
Huge renovations at Marton Mere have made it a haven for wildlife spotters. The new visitor centre is open between 10:00 and 15:00 on weekdays, while new habitats have been created for nesting birds and amphibians. A world away from the hustle and bustle of Blackpool Promenade, Marton Mere is the perfect place for a nature walk with the family.
Saddle up this summer and pedal across a number of routes through Blackpool. Sky Rid
es are taking place all summer, with various routes from along the Promenade to around Stanley Park. To find your nearest Sky Ride, go to www.goskyride.com and enter your postcode. On 30th August, the popular Ride the Lights event will also return to Blackpool Promenade, where cyclists of all ages and abilities can preview this year’s Illuminations before they’re switched on.
If your children are excited about the release of the new BFG blockbuster, then let them learn about the magical world of Roald Dahl. Aimed at 4 – 11 year olds, events are taking place at libraries across the town to get children involved in reading around the children’s author’s collection of stories. To find out more, call 478080.
We’ll bring the countryside to you this summer with a number of pop up farms at Blackpool children’s centres. On 25th July at Thames Children’s Centre, 28th July at Mereside Children’s Centre, and 19th August at Grange Park Children’s Centre, you and the children can pet pigs, goats sheep, chickens and rabbits. For more details, download the Summer Information Guide.
As part of the improvements to George Bancroft Park, delivered by the Better Start partnership, a picnic in the park will take place between 12:00 and 14:00 on 30th July. To find out more call 476789 or visit www.blackpoolbetterstart.org.uk
Fancy getting sporty? Free football and basketball sessions are taking place for 13 – 17 years old every Friday during the summer at Blackpool Sports Centre. Just call 478471 to book.
Eagle-eyed nature spotters should head down to Kincraig Lake on Saturday 3rd September, for a chance to get a spot of bats that live around the park. They come out in the evening so be there for 20:30 and bring a torch and some warm clothing.
Watch the Red Arrows soar over Blackpool again this summer. The Blackpool Air Show takes place on 7th and 8th August on the Promenade and is free for everybody to attend. As well as the Red Arrows, the Typhoon, Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster Bomber will also take to the skies. Get a good spot for 13:30 on both days to make sure you don’t miss out.