Giant ducks everywhere at WWT Martin Mere - the kids will love it

And there's a whole host of other events happening across the region if giant ducks don't float your boat!
It's the return of the Giant Easter Duck Trail at WWT Martin MereIt's the return of the Giant Easter Duck Trail at WWT Martin Mere
It's the return of the Giant Easter Duck Trail at WWT Martin Mere

PAID: Giant Easter Duck Trail, Burscough, from Saturday, April 6 until Monday, April 22

Have a wild day out at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre this Easter half term with the Giant Easter Duck Trail. Twenty-five giant ducks have been hidden around the grounds and your help is needed to find them all - who will be the top spotter in your family? As well as the Giant Easter Duck Trail, you can get creative with your family in the craft room. Open daily. Admission is £11.70 adults; £6.25 children; under fours go free. To book visit wwt.org.uk/martin-mere

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PAID: Timeless, Blackpool, from Saturday, April 6 until Sunday, April 21

Get a full health check-up at Preston Health MelaGet a full health check-up at Preston Health Mela
Get a full health check-up at Preston Health Mela

From the imaginations of international vocalist Marc Andrew of The Splash Showgroup and renowned master of illusions Chris De Rosa comes ‘Timeless’, a breathtaking new entertainment experience. A contemporary take on the classic variety show, featuring a seamless blend of music and vocals, with mind-blowing stage illusions, close-up magic and more. At the Horseshoe at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Tickets are £15 adults, £12 children. To book visit www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/whats-on/timeless/

FREE: Preston Health Mela, Preston, Saturday, April 6

The Preston Health Mela, a celebration of all aspects of family and community health and wellbeing, returns to the University of Central Lancashire. This vibrant festival aims to provide visitors with an opportunity to celebrate healthy living, to discover all the latest news on the local health front and to take a comprehensive ‘Health MOT’ with friendly informal advice from health professionals. It runs from 11am until 3pm in the Foster Building. Parking, entrance and health-checks are all free.

PAID & FREE: Bubble Rush, Blackpool, Saturday, April 6

The majestic Stonyhurst College is open for guided toursThe majestic Stonyhurst College is open for guided tours
The majestic Stonyhurst College is open for guided tours

The Blackpool Bubble Rush is the only event of its kind on the Fylde Coast and suitable for all ages and abilities. It is family-friendly 5k course with a difference… you can run, dance, walk or skip round the course you’ll go through four different coloured Bubble Stations. At each Bubble Station there will be one of our high powered foam cannons blowing out heaps of frothy milkshake bubbles to ensure you get completely covered in coloured frothy foam. To book visit https://bubble-rush.co.uk/

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PAID: Plant Hunters’ Spring Fair, Hoghton, Saturday, April 6

Hoghton Tower near Preston are welcoming back Plant Hunters’ Fairs for their Spring Plant Fair. This very popular event is a special fund-raising event for Hoghton Tower Preservation Trust and offers entry to the plant fair and garden for just £1. There will be a great line up of nurseries who will come laden with flowering bulbs and shrubs to provide instant colour, but also lots of later flowering plants to get planted now for colour into the summer and beyond. The fair runs from 10am until 4pm.

FREE: Burscough Wharf Artisan Market, Burscough, Sunday, April 7

Garden enthusiasts will be sure to flock to the Plants Hunters' Fair at Hoghton TowerGarden enthusiasts will be sure to flock to the Plants Hunters' Fair at Hoghton Tower
Garden enthusiasts will be sure to flock to the Plants Hunters' Fair at Hoghton Tower

Burscough Wharf courtyard is home to a collection of independent shops and restaurants. And this popular spot is the perfect place to showcase a wide range of creative businesses offering locally grown produce, freshly baked sweet and savoury foods, beautifully made crafts and original artwork. A programme of Easter activities suitable for all ages and abilities will take place throughout April. Artisan markets run on first and third Sunday of the month. Open from 11am until 4pm.

PAID: Blackpool Ghost Walks, Blackpool, Saturday, April 6

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Join The Victorian Ghost Hunter (Haunted Blackpool author Stephen Mercer) on a Blackpool Ghost Walk as he guides you to some of Blackpool’s most famous, and most haunted, locations to hear of his (dearly departed) friends; the spectres, the phantoms and the ghosts. The 2019 spooky strolls feature new tales of terror and stories of the supernatural, along with a few old favourites. Starts at 7.30pm prompt. Admission £6 for adults; £3.50 for under 16s; family ticket £17. For more details and to book visit www.blackpoolghostwalks.co.uk

FREE: Rebellious Retro Open Day, Edgeworth, Sunday, April 7

An artisan fair is being held at Burscough WharfAn artisan fair is being held at Burscough Wharf
An artisan fair is being held at Burscough Wharf

Go back in time with this Rebellious Retro Open Day with quirky vintage props, indoor retro games and vintage-style sweet cart! There will also be a vintage tractor on show, gorgeous china crockery for that gorgeous vintage afternoon tea and if it’s a beautiful day, the eclectic collection of vintage deckchairs will be on display. To top it off, the vintage-themed Wedding House (Baron’s Farm) will be open for viewings. It’s all happening at Wheatsheaf Hill Farm from 11am until 4pm.

PAID: Open Days and Guided Tours, Clitheroe, Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7

Stonyhurst College, Chapel Museum and gardens will be open to the public for guided tours. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the various chapels and historic rooms within the building. This includes the Great Hall with portraits of the seven former pupils awarded the Victoria Cross, and the table on which Cromwell is reputed to have slept the night before the Battle of Preston in 1648. Guided tours will run at set times throughout the day and will include entry to the Chapel Museum.

FREE: Early Spring Bird Watch, Fleetwood, Sunday, April 7

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Visit Rossall Point Tower in Fleetwood to watch the spectacle of birds on the bay at the Early Spring Bird Watch. Take your binoculars if you have some. Expect to see birds like the Atlantic Canada Goose, Black Brant, Great Grey Shrike and Western Cattle Egret. The walk is graded as easy, which means relatively level ground, fields, lanes and tracks, possibly with some gentle slopes, stiles or livestock Runs from 9am until 10am. Admission is free. For more information call 01995 602125.

PAID: Motorcycle Sprint, Hoghton, Sunday, April 7

There will be bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles at the Blackpool Bubble RushThere will be bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles at the Blackpool Bubble Rush
There will be bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles at the Blackpool Bubble Rush

The Motorcycle Sprint at Hoghton Tower is one of the longest standing motorcycle sprint events in Lancashire. Watch bikes of all classes take on the challenge of the Hoghton Tower drive against the clock. There will be food and more in and around the track so why not take along the whole family for a day out. Admission prices are £10, with under 16s going free. Doors open at 10am on Sunday. Dogs are not allowed at this event for the safety of themselves, competitors and spectators. Spectator viewing areas are on both sides of the drive. Note these are steep bankings and may be muddy.

FREE: Bee Wild Day, Lytham, Saturday, April 6

Make a beeline to Park View 4U’s Bee Wild Day on Saturday, with a hive full of activity for everyone. Learn how to make a needle felted bee, visit the bee hives, try on a beekeepers suit, waggle dance, buy locally made beeswax lip balms and toiletries, sow wildflowers and more. Park View 4U is on Park View Road, Lytham, and is open from 11am until 3pm.

PAID: be reet, Preston, Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6

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be reet is a new play about growing up gay in the north of England in the early noughties. Written and directed by Joshua Miles, it’s a quest for acceptance. Performed in the round, this new production is presented by five actors, playing 18 different characters. be reet is about Lancashire people and its first performances will take place in Higher Walton, exactly where the story is set. Catch it at Higher Walton Community Centre today at 12.30pm and tomorrow at 2pm or 8pm. Tickets are £9.65 and available online from www.eventbrite.com

PAID: Free Parking, Preston, Sunday, April 7

Live music at The Ferret on Fylde Road, Preston is back in full swing. And on Sunday you can catch top local jazz band Free Parking in action. There you will find Paul Burgess on drums, guitarist Keith Ashcroft, Norm Helm on bass, and taking charge is Harold Salisbury on saxes. And the music - hot, funky jazz - perfect for a laid back Sunday evening. The music starts at 9pm, but arrive early to claim a seat, and admission is £3.

FREE: Xplorer, Lancashire, Monday, April 8 until Wednesday, April 10

To keep the kids entertained over the Easter holidays, why not take them along to one of the Xplorer sessions taking place on various Preston parks? They are at Astley Park in Chorley on Monday, April 8, Avenham Park in Preston on the Tuesday and then Worden Park in Leyland on Wednesday. Runs from 10am until 12pm and admission is free.