Here’s a guide to some of the bank holiday fun in Blackpool and Fylde this weekend

LYTHAM WORLD FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

Lytham World Food and Drink Festival returns for three days over the August Bank Holiday weekend as mouth-watering and thirst-quenching vendors take over Lowther Gardens between 11am and 5pm Saturday to Monday inclusive.

It’s the third year of the free event and it follows hot on the heels of the Ice Cream Festival in July, which proved to be a massive success for children and adults alike. Similarly, iut is exoected to attract thousands of visitors and features entertainment, a kiddies’ fairground and craft stalls as well as tasty treats galore.

Lowther has quickly become renowned for the variety of outdoor events it puts on inside the Edwardian gardens that surround The Pavilion theaytre.

Originally designed to be held in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festivals were a way for the Lowther Pavilion Theatre to carry on operating and offering a community-driven space where people could safely come together for an afternoon of fun.

This year, the Festival offers its largest list yet of vendors and activities, with the food vendors offering something for all tastes including Cyprus Kouzina, Hot Potato Tram, Thai Food, Wild Wings, Legendary Kitchen, Flying Pig Pizza and Blueberry Hill.

As well as a host of free family entertainment, there will also be stalls of all sorts of wares from the Creative Crafts Association, while on the Sunday at 1pm, there’s the unveiling in the Gardens of a statue of comedy legend Bobby Ball, free for the public to attend.

As with previous outdoor festivals at Lowther, parking will be available on Lytham Green opposite the venue.

ST ANNES MUSIC FESTIVAL

St Annes is set for fun and entertainment galore over the Bank Holiday weekend as the town’s Music Festival is staged in Ashton Gardens on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The free event is organised by St Annes Town Council and will run from noon to 10pm on all three days, featuring around 40 acts on two stages.

The main stage is housed in a 30 metre by 12 metre marquee with seating for an audience of 200 and plenty of standing room, while acts will also feature on The Pavilion Stage at the Pavilion Café in the Gardens, a partnership between the café and the Town Council.

There will be fairground rides and a wide selection of food and drink vendors, while the official charity for the event is Home-Start Blackpool Fylde and Wyre.

The event will be officially opened at 11.45am on Saturday, August 27 by town mayor, Karen Harrison, who said: “We have a fabulous line up of bands, and this year also have the second stage at The Pavilion. I do hope residents and visitors will come along and have a great time. We can't promise good weather but can promise some great music.”

Main stage acts on Saturday will include local favourites The Coustics, along with Night Train (rock and blues), Bandit (classic rock), Venezuela Venezuela (indie pop), The Deal (rock), Gemma Hart (modern), justSEAN (underground nip-Hop) and Martini Blonde (pop).SkaFace take to the main stage on Sunday, along with Bob On (Bob Marley rribute), The Quarantinos (indie pop), Quarter Light, Old Rope (both classic rock), Ziggy Spider (70s), Millwood Country Duo and Rialto (classic rock).Fylde coast favourites Touch the Pearl headline the mainstage on Monday, while also featuring will be Alley Katz (rock ‘n’ roll), The Three (indie pop), Remix (classic), Cartoon Food (folk rock), Tali Febland (acoustic modern), Robert Warwick Thompson (modern), The Shivers (pop).

Acts on the Pavilion Stage will be: Saturday - JR Vocal Coaching, Sweet Knuckle, Adam Smith, Implicit, Marc Cartmell, Water Diamonds; Sunday - Charlese, Lost Hills, Upbeat Rock Academy, Wolski, Wandering Star; Monday - Bear Talk, Kind Hearted Thieves, Lost Dogs, Flux, Misko, Morgan Marshall. Further details at: www.facebook.com/CANStAnnes

BLACKPOOL TOWER SOUL WEEKENDER

Northern soul returns to its seaside home over the bank holiday weekend.

Music fans to danceinto the early hours to Wigan Casino classics at the three day event .

Timings for the event are: Tonight (Friday) 8.30pm -2am, Saturday: 2pm - 5pm, 8pm - 2am and Sunday: 2pm - Midnight.

Book at www.goldsoul.co.uk

HERITAGE TRAM TOURS VINTAGE WEEKEND

Summer is here, and what better place to enjoy it than by the seaside on a Heritage Tram Tour?

Whatever your interests, be it nostalgia, fun for the family or simply admiration for the historic vintage trams, they can’t wait to welcome you onboard.

Across the weekend, they'll be operating a number of heritage tram tours which can be pre-booked, as well as their hop on/off style tours. There are also behind-the-scenes depot tours and of course, their in-demand themed tours.

Operating times are: Saturday10:00-20:00; Sunday10:00-20:00 and Monday10:00-20:00.

Ticket prices reange from £9.

FREE EVENTS

Stroll along the Prom

Everyone enjoys a stroll along the prom. Whether it’s to blow away the cobwebs, catch some rays or simply enjoy a relaxing walk along Blackpool’s famous Golden Mile.

There is so much to see and do that this six-mile walk really could fill a whole day for you. Take a selfie outside The Blackpool Tower and stroll along the Golden Mile. If you’re feeling very energetic, walk the entire length of the promenade – six miles in total.

With magnificent sweeping Spanish steps, award-winning beaches, open views across the Irish Sea and miles and miles of scenic picnic spots, you really will be spoilt for choice when you see Blackpool’s beautifully restored and regenerated seafront.

The Comedy Carpet and Tower Festival Headland

Take a walk where every step brings a smile and a giggle. The Comedy Carpet sits in the shadow of the world-famous Blackpool Tower and it’s one of the largest pieces of public art ever commissioned in the UK. There’s nothing like the British sense of humour and and the outdoor Comedy Carpet celebrates all-things funny on a giant scale. It immortalizes jokes, songs, and catchphrases of more than a thousand of Britain’s best-loved comedians and writers.

Winter Gardens

First opened to the public in July 1878 this “most magnificent palace of amusement” has been welcoming visitors ever since.Transport yourself back to the Victorian era when the well-heeled would travel to Blackpool to “promenade” and enjoy the year-round gardens in the beautiful and breath-taking Floral Hall. Having recently been refurbished, the Floral Hall is a splendid place to sit and watch the world go by or to just simply wander around and wonder at the magnificent architecture. And don’t forget to check out the new tribute statue to the UK’s most loved comedy duo, Morecambe and Wise.

Three piers

Blackpool is the only UK seaside resort to have three piers and, what’s more, you can enjoy the delights of all three for FREE.The first pier to adorn Blackpool’s golden sands was North Pier in 1863 and this, and its two neighbours, are still going strong. Despite changes to the buildings, they all remain true to the original concept featuring a range of amusements, live music and dancing.

North Pier was always the posh pier and remains a wonderful place to enjoy a stroll over the Irish Sea, while Central and South Piers represent fun. Built in 1868, today Central Pier is very much a family entertainment complex and South Pier, built in 1893, houses big thrill rides and its very own fun fair.

Stanley Park

You don’t need to have green fingers to appreciate Stanley Park. It’s a great place to saunter round at your leisure and with 390 acres offering a magical blend of architecture, horticulture, and recreation, it’ll keep you occupied for hours. Events such as classic car shows are often staged there.Get your skates on and check out the recently opened Skate Park, wander round the beautiful Italian Gardens, or take the kids to the Adventure Playground to blow off some steam. There are also some fantastic things to do if you have a small amount of money, including taking a boat ride on the lush lake, an ice cream or two at the Art Deco cafe, playing a spot of tennis or testing out your putting skills at crazy golf.