Elmer’s Big Parade – FREE Elephant Art Trail!

Coming to the streets of Blackpool this Spring! It’s Elmer’s Big Parade – FREE Elephant Art Trail! Look out for all the colourful characters, fundraising for Brian House Children’s Hospice.

Elmer’s Big Parade – FREE Elephant Art Trail!

Elmer’s Big Parade is a FREE art trail of colourful elephants across Blackpool. Find them on display from 13 April to 9 June 2024.

Each Elmer is uniquely designed and decorated by established and up-and-coming artists. They’re all different and celebrate everything that makes our town unique! This large-scale public art event creates a trail across Blackpool, encouraging thousands of local people to become a ‘tourist in their own town’. Plus attracting visitors from out of the area to spend time in the resort.

Each colourful sculpture is free for you to visit. Collect rewards offered by Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool supporters and sponsors through a dedicated free trail app.

And at the end of the trail there’ll be a Farewell Event. It’s the only time you’ll be able to see all of them together! Afterwards, all the Elmers are to be auctioned, with proceeds to Brian House.

The project is raising money for Brian House, the only children’s hospice on the Fylde coast. Helping to provide exceptional care to local children who are living with incredibly complex illnesses.

The art trail is supported by Presenting Partners Thompson Contracts and Ameon. Learning Programme Sponsor Tower Insurance and Official Supporters Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL), Beaverbrook’s, Partington’s Holiday Parks, RSS Events and Blackpool Council.

Get the Elmer Blackpool App!

Download the Elmer Blackpool app to discover the sculptures, collect rewards and track your trail steps with the pedometer. Get it from the App Store or Google Play.

• Pinch and swipe the map to zoom in and out to find the 70+ sculptures around Blackpool.
• Enter the four digit code found on each plaque to collect the sculpture
• When you collect sculptures you’ll collect rewards along the way! You’ll also get stars when you complete certain milestones.
• Track your progress around the trail. See how many sculptures, rewards and milestones you’ve collected.
• Upload your images to the public photo gallery.
• Find out about trail related events, published in the app.

Visit the dedicated HQ and shop on Victoria Street, Blackpool (opposite the back door of M&S).

The Big Elmer Parade Preview!

The sculptures for Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool have been revealed to the art trail’s sponsors and supporters ahead of the opening.

At a special launch event on Wednesday 27 March for sponsors and supporters, around 100 people got to see the 33 large sculptures and 37 Young Elmers. All inspired by David McKee’s popular children’s character Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. Different UK artists have decorated each of the large sculptures. Children at local schools and youth organisations have designed and painted the smaller ones.

We got to reveal three more sculptures, ahead of the trail starting on Saturday 13 April. Visit Fylde Coast was the only channel vlogging at the special preview and press event. Here’s our preview and interviews –

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Which is your Favourite?

Our favourite is Beach Belle, designed by Donna Newman and sponsored by Partner Plus Media.

Belle is dressed in her polka dot swimsuit and is ready for a day on the beach. She celebrates Blackpool’s history as a resort town with a vintage-style design featuring classic British seaside postcards.

The event also revealed a specially-designed book bench, which trail-goers can use to rest, sit with Elmer and enjoy Blackpool. Don’t forget to snap a selfie!

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s Elmer Elaganza

Elmer Elaganza is one of the 70+ sculptures, designed by interior designer and television presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Laurence, who is also Creative Curator of the Blackpool Illuminations, popped into Brian House to reveal his sculpture.

He said: “When I heard about Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool, I jumped at the chance to be part of it. I know what a wonderful thing it is for this incredible town. My sculpture is of course inspired by my passion and flair for interior design and floral patterns. I hope everyone who visits it as part of the art trail enjoys their own interpretation of Elmer Elaganza.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Brian House to reveal my sculpture and meet some of the amazing children and the staff who do so much for them. It’s really humbling to know that by being involved in this fabulous event I am supporting such a remarkable place. It means so much to local families on the Fylde coast.”

Elmer Elaganza is sponsored by VisitBlackpool and will be on display at a location still to be announced.

A VisitBlackpool spokesperson said: “We have a long-standing relationship with Laurence who has created some amazing designs for Blackpool Illuminations down the years. We are thrilled that he has been able to produce something very special for Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool and can’t wait for it to be unveiled to the public.”

Fundraising for Brian House Children’s Hospice

Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool is being run in partnership with Wild in Art and Andersen Press. It’s expected to raise over £110,000 for Brian House.

Linzi Warburton is Head of Fundraising. She said: “With just two weeks to go until our art trail, our preview event was a wonderful evening. We were able to show our sponsors and supporters everything we’ve been working on. It’s hard to explain the feeling in the room. But it was amazing to see the looks on everyone’s faces as they walked into the room and saw our truly remarkable sculptures all together. It’s the only time they’ll be seen together until our Farewell Weekend at the end of the trail.

“Everyone was absolutely in awe at the uniqueness of our sculptures and the work that has gone into them – not only by artists around the country but at our local schools and youth organisations too. It’s incredible how everyone can get the same blank canvas and provide such wonderfully different masterpieces. It was particularly special to show our supporters the large sculptures. They will be sold at auction to raise money for Brian House. It’s the area’s only children’s hospice, supporting the most fragile children on the Fylde coast. We just can’t wait until residents and visitors to our unique town can see them too.”

Expert Care for Children in Our Community

Brian House is the only specialist children’s hospice for the Fylde coast. It offers unique, expert care and support, making a huge difference to the most seriously ill and vulnerable children in our community.

The purpose-built hospice is part of Trinity Hospice. It allows children with incredibly challenging medical needs and conditions to have the chance to live life to the full. To play and have fun as every child should.

Brian House offers respite care whether it’s for a day, a night, a weekend or even longer. It’s for local families, as well as group support for the whole family. Brian House is also there for expert end-of-life care and bereavement support.

All of Brian House’s services are provided completely free of charge to every family which needs them. But running costs reach more than £1.4million. With little help from the government, it relies on the support and generosity of people and organisations in the community.

www.brianhouse.org.uk

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