Accrington set for action packed day as Soapbox Challenge takes centre stage this Saturday

Thousands of people will flock to Accrington this Saturday as the free-to-attend #AmazingAccrington Soapbox Challenge returns to the town.

Taking place between 10am and 3pm, 30 competitors are making the final touches to their carts as they prepare for a fierce contest through the streets of Accrington Town Centre.

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Starting on Blackburn Road and ending on Church Street, local people and businesses will take part in the event with prizes up for grabs for first place, the best designed cart judged by the Mayor of Hyndburn Cllr Mike Booth, and the best dressed team judged by #AmazingAccrington.

Alongside managing their cart's journey down the course, competitors will also need to take on jumps, chicanes, water pistols from the crowd and much more.

One of the teams competing in the race will be BBC Radio Lancashire as DJ Graham Liver, who has competed in the previous two races, is back again for this year, racing against colleague Parin Begum this time for some healthy competition.

Graham Liver said: "We've had a fantastic time at the last two Soapbox Challenges and our custom built carts have been really spectacular.

“I'm looking forward to racing against Parin this year, and seeing what changes have been made to the track!"

The action will get underway at 11am with Soapbox Heat 1, before a special interval at 12:30pm which will allow spectators to visit eateries in the town and #ShopLocal.

There will also be live entertainment between 12:30pm and 2pm including Brazilian dancers, a Samba band, local ska band Blowjangles, and a Ukrainian dance troupe to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

The Soapbox action will get back underway at 2pm with Heat 2 featuring the fastest carts from Heat 1, before the winners are announced and prizes are presented at 3pm.

A funfair will also take place on Broadway throughout the event, as well as a wide variety of food stalls, while there will also be two free historic rides for children on the market.

With plenty of photo opportunities throughout the day, none will come better than the model DeLorean, which will be showcased throughout the event for spectators to take selfies next to.

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A spokesperson from Hyndburn Borough Council, said: "The Soapbox was named as a finalist in the large event of the year category at last year's Lancashire Tourism Awards, and you can see why. It really is a tremendous event.

"Not only do we get to see fast and ferocious racing, but the event also brings all areas of the community together to enjoy themselves and to #ShopLocal around town."

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