THE two herds of elephants which make Elmer’s Great North Parade will be brought together for a special farewell event next month (November).
On Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November, the 50 large and 114 small sculptures, which make up the free public art trail, will gather for a final celebration at Newcastle Racecourse.
And those who book tickets online before 10 October will receive an early bird discount of 10 per cent.
Along with a last chance to see each of the individually decorated sculptures before they go up for auction on 12 November, there will be a whole host of family events.
For children there will be fairground rides, face painting, music and entertainment while adults can browse stalls selling a wide range of gifts, arts and crafts along with locally produced food and drink.
The full range of Elmer’s Great North Parade merchandise will also be on sale, giving fans the chance to snap up a souvenir of the trail.
Many of the artists who decorated the Elmer sculptures – based on David McKee’’s popular storybook character will also be there, displaying other examples of their work and signing souvenir guides of the Parade.
“And, of course, this will be the last chance for those who are following the trail on our app to gather the barcodes they need to complete it,” said Jane Hogan, project lead for the parade, which is being held in support of St Oswald’s Hospice.
“The elephants look even more spectacular when they are all gathered together and this is a great way to end what has been the most fantastic art trail I think the region has ever seen.”
The Farewell Event will take place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November from 10am to 4pm. The first hour on the Sunday will be a relaxed environment for those who find busy environments challenging.
Online tickets are priced at £5 per adult (age 16+), £3 per child (age 4-15) and children aged three and under will be admitted free of charge.
A £16 family ticket admits up four people including at least one adult and booking fees and VAT apply to all online sales.
Online tickets will be available until 5 November, after which tickets can be paid for on the door.
To qualify for the early bird 10 per cent discount before 10 October apply promotional code EARLYBIRD10.
For more information or to book tickets for the farewell event, visit https://www.stoswaldsuk.org/elmer/whats-on/elmers-farewell-weekend/