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Over the weekend of 9th and 10th November, Newcastle Racecourse was taken over by a herd of big and little brightly coloured elephants for the culmination of Elmer’s Great North Parade.
Thousands of Elmer fans turned up to say goodbye to the herd that decorated the streets, parks and coastlines of the region for 11 weeks this autumn. Families were treated to a packed programme of fun, including animal petting, fairground rides, craft and artist markets and music from Metro Radio. But of course, the main attraction were the Elmers themselves, who tuned up to meet their crowd fresh from being pampered at the beauty parlour.
This was a last chance for visitors to pose for selfies with their favourites and gather codes to unlock the final sculptures in the official Elmer app and claim a ‘trail champion’ certificate for completing the trail.
Elmer himself even made an appearance, dancing along to the beat of the Silver Sambas as everyone arrived on Saturday morning, and then popping in throughout the weekend to keep an eye on proceedings.
You can view a photo gallery from the weekend here:
Photo galleryWe would like to say a huge, Elmer-sized THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered their time to help the weekend run smoothly, to Metro Radio for the soundtrack to the weekend and to all of the stall holders, entertainers and companies who offered support. But most of all, we want to thank every single person who came along to celebrate with us. We were overwhelmed with the turnout and it was lovely to see the enthusiasm and love for our herd. As well as the support of St Oswald’s Hospice, who will benefit from all the profits raised.
As you may know, the final part of the trail will see most of the bog herd go to auction on Tuesday 12th November at Sage Gateshead. At Elmer's Big Charity Auction, the elephants, including some specially commissioned, never before seen lots, will go under the hammer, with all profits supporting the work of St Oswald’s Hospice. Tickets are on sale via Sage Gateshead’s website for £15 each including a fizz reception. If you would like to bid but can’t make it in person, you can register to bid by telephone or online through Anderson & Garland Auctioneers:
The Big Elmer Charity Auction