SUMMER LINE-UP
A jam-packed line-up of exciting, cultural events as well as thrilling water and wind sport facilities will make this summer one to remember, writes Tim Dixon Fylde Council’s Tourism and Cultural Services manager
It’s getting warmer and it’s such a great time to get outdoors and enjoy what Fylde has to offer, both on the coast and in the many villages making up rural Fylde. There are regular guided walks hosted by the Fylde Ranger Team right across the area and it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and find out more about this fantastic part of Lancashire.
A walk around the 78 acres of mature parkland of Lytham Hall will introduce you to a new art trail – a Fylde Council project in association with local artist Nicky Thompson with art inspired by the heritage railway posters of yesteryear and there’s a free booklet to pick up and guide you around the grounds.
Elsewhere at Lytham Hall, Greg Anderton and his team at the Leafy Lytham Garden Hub are extremely busy selling plants of all shapes and sizes and the dog friendly café is as popular as ever. The year-round event programme at the hall continues to prove very popular and this year, Alfie Boe will be performing in a Last Night of the Proms concert on 28th August.
On Lytham Green, the windmill, complete with four sails once again, is now open again for the summer season and you’ll find a tourist information desk in there – entry to this historic building is free with donations always welcome.
The changing exhibition programme at the Lytham Heritage Centre can be viewed for free with donations welcome. The Lowther Theatre again has a very busy event programme both in the theatre and also within the grounds. The Lytham Festival is back this year for 10 nights of music from top class acts including Duran Duran, Lewis Capaldi, Simply Red and many more.
The popular Lytham 1940s Wartime Weekend returns for the first time since 2019 and is followed a couple weeks later by the hugely popular St Annes International Kite Festival, taking place from 2nd (evening) to 4th September.
In St Annes, you’ll note the paddling pool adjacent to the pier has recently been refurbished, thus offering an addition to the free Splash! facility along the promenade. There will also be a new wind sports centre opening up at North Beach in 2022, with a café and it will be a centre for the popular kite surfers and land yachters, who you can already see as regular users of the beach.
There have been many developments over the past couple of years at Fairhaven Lake and the Adventure Golf course has firmly established itself as a popular visitor attraction with a course record currently standing at 41, as has the refurbished adventure play area and, new for 2022, is the water sports centre where you can try paddle boarding, canoeing or kayaking. The seasonal leisure boats remain as popular as ever as does the refurbished café with views over the lake. It’s a great park to explore and the recently refurbished Japanese Garden is well worth a visit.
For more details of places to visit and events go to: www.discoverfylde.co.uk
