Published Wednesday 1 June 2022 at 13:32
The borough’s all set for a royal weekend of celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and you’re all invited to join in!
The June Bank Holiday weekend has been extended nationally from Thursday, June 2nd to Sunday, June 5th to pave the way for events to mark Her Majesty the Queen becoming the first British Monarch ever to reign for 70 years.
Here’s our ‘What’s On Guide’ to what’s planned across Blackburn with Darwen to mark the Jubilee:
Darwen Heritage Centre Platinum Jubilee Exhibition
Darwen Heritage Centre has a Platinum Jubilee Exhibition – a journey through the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and her early life, running from Friday 20th May and throughout June.
Platinum Arty Party in Blackburn!
The Mall Blackburn has teamed up with Blackburn BID to bring a Platinum Arty Party to the town to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s accession to the throne.
There will be plenty of free fun for everyone to get involved with as the country celebrates the Jubilee.
The Mall Blackburn – daily from 11.00am until 4.00pm
- Thursday 2nd June – Glitter tattoo art
- Friday 3rd June – Crown making
- Saturday 4th June – Cookie decorating
- Sunday 5th June – Jubilee balloon modeller
Find out more – Platinum Arty Party in Blackburn! – Blackburn BID
Blackburn 70 at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
To celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee, staff and students from Blackburn University have selected photographic images from each decade which explore the people, places and events of Blackburn and the surrounding areas. The images tell stories and reveal histories which are significant to the people of Blackburn and beyond. The images are from The Talbot Collection and photographers working in the Blackburn area between 1952-2022.
Thursday, June 2nd
Brass band street party
Blackburn and Darwen Brass Band are set to host a street party on Darwen Market Square – find out more.
Beacon lighting at Darwen’s Jubilee Tower
For everything you need to know about this event – click here.
Blackburn town centre BID – Pavement Art workshops
The Mall and Blackburn BID are providing FREE pavement art workshops curtesy of Urban Art on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd June. 2 large murals will be created and visitors will be invited to help design them. The designs will be jubilee themed and Urban Canvas artists will create the outline design then support members of the public to take part in designing and completing the amazing artwork using water based pastels.
Friday, June 3rd
Royal British Legion Blackburn Branch
Local community event to have stalls, local traders, food including afternoon teas, Salvation Army band and fair ground rides. Free event.
East Lancashire Cricket Club, Dukes Brow, Blackburn.
Blackburn Jubilee Celebration | Facebook
Saturday, June 4th
Darwen Music Live
Darwen Music Live will be held with a packed programme of performers at venues across the town.
Sunday, June 5th
Open Air Concert at Cherry Tree Cricket Club 14:30-19:30
The event will include an orchestra, a local choir and a music hall artist. The last hour of the concert will be a ‘Last Night of the Proms’ theme. Find out more.
Darwen Music Live will continue into its second day. Find out more.
Platinum Jubilee Outdoor Service and Community Event
11am, St Aidens Church, St Aidens Avenue BB2 4EY
Outdoor family service followed by family fun activities, BBQ, games etc – all welcome.
Saturday, June 11th
Teas & Trees event
Building a Geodome Structure and displaying childrens art work based around the theme of the Queen and the Jubilee Celebrations. Darwen Market Square (green patch behind the bird sculpture).
Eventbrite link to register for event. Require dietary needs: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teas-trees-tickets-339800140367
Darwen Rotary Schools Art Competition
The judging of the Darwen Rotary Schools Art Competition will take place at Darwen Market.
Seven schools are signed up to take part in the ‘Create a Gift for the Queen’ competition with the first, second and third place winners from each school having their work displayed at Darwen Market from W/C June 6th – be sure to pop down and take a look.
The overall winner will receive an art installation for their school.
Darwen Market Square
Funfair taking place at the Market Square.
Queen’s Afternoon Tea at Derwent Hall 12:00-17:00
This is a free event open to all, celebrating the Jubilee in the heart of the Darwen community. (This project has received Jubilee funding).
Other
Art
Blackburn artist Jamie Holman has been commissioned to produce a poetic archive that tells the story of the Queens reign, the diversity of our Lancastrian communities and the extraordinary individuals who best remember her lifetime of service.
Making a formal link between the past and present, Holman will create a multi-sensory celebration of a lifetime of service that straddles both the digital and analogue periods.
Holman creates his work by interrogating history through the lens of personal narratives, whether personal ancestry or a unique story of an individual who has stood against the odds.
Supported and produced by Alex Zawadzki/ Uncultured Creatives.
Belmont – Thursday 2nd June to Sunday 5th June.
The annual scarecrow event is being brought forward from the end of June to coincide with the Jubilee celebrations.
It’ll be opened with a tree planting ceremony on Thursday, June 2nd followed by clog dancing.
Other events will include a treasure hunt, historic walk of Belmont and – weather permitting – a Big Belmont Picnic on the Sunday where there will be stalls, games, hopefully a bar and more. Belmont Village Lancashire – Posts | Facebook
Belthorn
The Dog Inn and the Community of Belthorn is getting ready to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in style thanks to National Lottery Funding.
It will use its grant to hire a marquee to go on the field at the back of the pub, along with a mobile bar and other facilities.
The plan is to run a full weekend of activities, with something for everyone, to unite the whole community in celebrations of this special occasion.
Activities will include live music, a ceilidh evening, a traditional British BBQ, and a family fun day for village celebrations.
Libraries
Our libraries will be holding Jubilee themed fun days with different activities and events for families, including story times, making cardboard crowns and bunting.
These sessions will be held during regular library opening hours at Darwen Library on Saturday, May 28th and at Blackburn Central Library on Saturday, June 4th.
Pendle Productions – The Storytellers Theatre Co – will be making a welcome return on Tuesday, May 31st, with their performance of ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass.’
This will be held at Blackburn Central Library 10:30-11:30 and at Darwen Library 15:00-16:00
Free tickets will be available from the libraries up to three weeks before each performance. PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE NOW SOLD OUT.
Darwen Library will also be taking part in a regional programme of events called ‘Jubilation’ along with 21 other libraries across the North West.
Artist Thomas Daniel Byrne has been commissioned to bring a ‘Jubilation Station’ to each participating library where customers can sit and talk, write and share their stories of jubilation throughout the day.
Thomas will also run a one-hour creative writing workshop with a community group, which uses the library.
The stories submitted will be compiled into a ‘Book of Jubilations’ – a hard copy of which will later be made available from Darwen Library as well as digital copies being available to download via BorrowBox, the libraries’ usual eBooks platform.
Find out more: BwD libraries to host family events to mark Jubilee | The Shuttle: Blackburn with Darwen Council News
If you have an event you’d like us to promote as part of this ‘What’s On Guide’, please email full details to: prandcommunications@blackburn.gov.uk
All information contained in this guide is correct at time of publication.
Please do check with the organisers for more details – links have been provided where possible.