The Easter festivities, organised by Hyndburn Borough Council and the Great Harwood Events team, saw fantastic community engagement, creativity, and a celebration of local culture across the town centre.
A highlight of the celebrations was the Easter Competition Trail, which saw over 1,400 individual shop visits across 10 participating outlets - a tremendous boost for the local high street and a clear sign of the town’s community spirit and enthusiasm.
As part of the trail, children had to collect a minimum of eight stamps from the 10 outlets, with the first 200 to enter receiving a free chocolate egg.
Young artists also took centre stage in the incredible Colouring Competition, which showcased stunning creativity and imagination.
Jaxon Bartley took home the first prize, with Hashim Irfan in second place and Arthur Walsh placing third – the top three winners all received a special Easter hamper.
There was also ten runners-up, each receiving Vue cinema tickets for their outstanding entries including Teddy, Surrayyah, Henry, Ava, Malina, Piper, Katie, Jacob, Ava and Alice.
In a magical twist, Hollywood returned to Harwood as the old Mercer Hall swimming pool was transformed into a pop-up cinema, screening family favourites Wicked and Peter Rabbit in a spectacular setting that delighted both children and adults alike.
Meanwhile, over at Great Harwood Library, two sell-out Easter Bonnet Making workshops gave youngsters the chance to show off their artistic flair and decorate bonnets in colourful, creative ways. The town’s Easter cheer continued outside with fairground rides on Towngate, adding to the family fun atmosphere.
Councillor Kimberley Whitehead, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Arts, said: “This Easter was a shining example of what Great Harwood can achieve when we come together as a community.
“From creative competitions to innovative cinema experiences, the events brought joy, footfall and a wonderful sense of togetherness. A huge thank you to everyone who took part and supported local businesses.”
Kathryn Sunman from Holy Cannoli, said: “The Easter competition has been a great success. It has been lovely to see all the children enjoying themselves. Everyone has been super excited and has brough the community together.”
Victoria Cocken from Flow Wellbeing Network, said: “We enjoyed meeting lots of local children and their families and welcoming them into Flow. We hope that more people understand the ethos of our shop and are inspired to take a more health and eco conscious approach to shopping whilst supporting local high street shops.
“We hope that we see many of the families again and thank Great Harwood Events for arranging another super event encouraging the children of Great Harwood to engage with their local community and for parents to support local businesses.”
You can keep up to date on Hyndburn Borough Council’s events page here: www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/events
These events are part of an exciting events programme delivered by Hyndburn Borough Council and funded by UK Government’s High Street Accelerator Pilot Programme.