Elmer's Great North Parade runs across Tyne and Wear from 21 August - 1 November 2019. It's completely FREE to take part and has been organised to support St Oswald's Hospice (elephants will be auctioned for charity at the end of the parade).
Elmer's Great North Parade officially starts on 21 August - pop the date in your diary!
Much like the Snowdogs, there are over 50 large and 115 small elephants (which have been designed by local school children) to locate and find across North East England. The exact locations have not been announced but I imagine they'll be pretty spread out and encourage families to get out and about and discover parts of the North East they have yet to visit as well as old favourites. We LOVED spending the day hunting for snowdogs a few years ago and it's a fab, low-cost way to get the kids out exploring the great outdoors. The trail is self-guided and you have 3 months to complete it so there is no rush. Some families like to challenge themselves to find all of the elephants and others may choose to just find another - there are no hard and fast rules!
Elmer's Great North Parade App
The app is now available to download from the App Store or Google Play - click this link for details. The app is 99p with all profits going to St Oswalds. You can input a 4 digit code from each elephant into the app to unlock rewards and milestones and use the app to vote for your favourite design.
I have downloaded the app and it looks really good - you can search for an Elmer, use a map to locate your nearest, find out more about the artist for each elephant, view the 'little herd' elephants designed by local schools, shop for Elmer products, enter your codes, view your stats and earn rewards.
Physical maps are also available to buy from selected vendors for a recommended donation of £1 (click here to open a list) or you can download a map onto your laptop or phone here.
Elmer Events
There are a number of official (and unofficial) Elmer events taking place across the region over the next few months.
Until May 2020 - Elmer and Friends Exhibition at Seven Stories
23 August - Elmer and Friends Storytelling at The Word
24 & 25 August - Elmer The Patchwork Elephant Show at Tyne Opera House
30 August - Elmer Sculpting with Katie's Garden
9 & 10 November - Elmer's Farewell Weekend at Newcastle Racecourse (tickets go on sale soon)
12 November - Elmer's Big Auction at The Sage
Elmer's Great North Parade Hints & Tips
1 - Don't climb on the elephants - they are easily damaged and it's annoying when they have to be removed for repair for both the artist and the public.
2 - Be courteous when taking photos
3 - We bought a Metro Family Saver ticket last time and spent a full day hunting for Snowdogs. It was a really cheap day out - you can read about it here.
4 - I remember Alan from Here Come the Hoopers getting up at the crack of dawn and locating the sculptures bright and early. It's a lot less busy and you can cover more ground if you get in there quick. They managed to complete the Snowdog trail - you can read all about their adventure here.
5 - It's fun to challenge yourself to find them all but plan your route carefully so you don't miss any.
2 - Be courteous when taking photos
3 - We bought a Metro Family Saver ticket last time and spent a full day hunting for Snowdogs. It was a really cheap day out - you can read about it here.
4 - I remember Alan from Here Come the Hoopers getting up at the crack of dawn and locating the sculptures bright and early. It's a lot less busy and you can cover more ground if you get in there quick. They managed to complete the Snowdog trail - you can read all about their adventure here.
5 - It's fun to challenge yourself to find them all but plan your route carefully so you don't miss any.
6 - Lots of people recommended the Farewell weekend last year as it was a great way to see any sculptures you had missed or see old favourites again.
I'll update this post in due course with more tips and photos as soon as the parade begins.
Will you be taking part in the Elmer's Great North Parade this year? Find out more via their official website here.
Guess what? Alan is planning on doing the same this time. Mind we have a tweenager this time not that sweet little keeno! Thanks for sharing our post again x
ReplyDeleteI got so obsessed doing the elephant trail in London, it's crazy how you get into it (even without kids!) and I loved that it encouraged me to get out and explore areas I'd never been to before!
ReplyDeleteI painted Brightside which will be displayed in Eldon Gardens Shopping Centre. Pop into Leazes Financial who are kindly sponsoring him and giving out free sweetie bags if you spot him :)
ReplyDeleteGood to see the reference to the metro - we are planning a family cycle ride to see as many as possible in and around the city centre. We should all try to avoid adding to the illegal and dangerous pollution levels in the city centre and Gosforth in pursuit of Elmers!
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