Supporters of the Blackburn Festival of Light have been busy preparing Saturday's spectacular for weeks, staging fire-dancing, stilt-walking and lantern-making classes. And even in the last hours before the grand finale outside Blackburn Town Hall there will be a chance to get involved with the lunar-themed gathering. Blackburn Market will be hosting a free workshop to create paper bag lanterns from noon to 3pm.
And festival fans can fashion their own light-up hat with another session at The Bureau in Exchange Street between 1pm and 4pm. There will also a lantern stall at The Firepit Tipi in Cathedral Square in readiness for the main parade setting off, alongside a performance by the Festival of Light Street Band. The parade, featuring Lunar Moths created by Kerris Casey St Pierre and Leonie Stephenson, will assemble in Cathedral Square at 4.
45pm before setting out for the town hall. Dazzling acts have been assembled for the grand finale, including a lunar garden imagined by Eye of Newt and Spacecadets Air Design, the energetic Moths At Work, the Travelling Light Circus, joined by the festival's own fire-dancing troupe. Later there will be the chance to savour a moonlight trail, created in partnership with students at Blackburn College.
A festival spokesman said: "This year Kerris worked with college students & tutors to help develop illuminated 3D pieces that will be lighting up a number of windows throughout December." Town centre visitors can pick up a trail map at the Ask.
