Blackburn’s ‘biggest event of the year’, the National Festival of Making set to return
Make your plans – one of Lancashire’s biggest events of the year is back and not to be missed!
An award-winning festival is set to make its return to Lancashire this weekend.
Taking place over the weekend of July 6th and July 7th, the National Festival of Making is the borough’s biggest event of the year drawing in tens of thousands of visitors to Blackburn town centre.
The huge event spreads across 25 different venues – everywhere from Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery to The Making Rooms, The Exchange, Tony’s Ballroom, The Mall, Blackburn Cathedral, Cathedral Square and more.
Tens of thousands of people travel from far and wide for the award-winning event – with much of what’s on offer being free to enjoy.
Organisers have been working hard to create a jam-packed programme including live music, popular performances, fabulous food offer and the makers market.
Lauren Zawadzki, Co-Director of the National Festival of Making, said: “The countdown is well and truly on to Blackburn with Darwen’s biggest event of the year.
“The Festival of Making is a fun celebration of all things ‘making’ – from the kitchen table to the factory floor, proudly showcasing the work of leading UK creative talents, alongside emerging and next generation artists.
New for 2024, there’ll be gigs at the Drummers Arms and Ribblesdale Tap in Blackburn town centre – meaning you can ‘make’ a day and evening of it too.
Run by local promoters Actual Music, there’ll be performances by the next generation of local and undiscovered talent, including Phil Johari, In Bloom, Jack Buckley and Kim McKenzie.
Lauren said: “There’s also lots of opportunities for people to get involved and try their hand at our many creative workshops while enjoying live performances, live music, and the fabulous food offered too.
“We want Blackburn to be seen far and wide as the natural home of making, both in the past – with the town’s rich links to the cotton industry – and looking to the future too, we have so much creative talent right here to celebrate.”
Over the last few months, artists have been working with large businesses across the borough and wider on the festival’s impressive Art in Manufacturing programme.
The specially commissioned art installations will go on show for the first time at the event and are always a huge draw.
For more on the National Festival of Making – including the full programme – head over to: www.festivalofmaking.co.uk
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