Be quick for Kent Big Weekend 2017

Every year since 2011, there has been an event called Kent Big Weekend/The Big Weekend. This year, it takes place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April.

Kent Big Weekend allows thousands of residents in Kent to enjoy a day out at one of 117 of the many tourist attractions that the county has to offer. Entry closes on Friday 3rd March 2017, though, so you’ll need to be quick! Here is a list of all the attractions that are available to visit. Underneath each attraction it tells you how many tickets are available and when you click on an attraction it shows you how many entries there have been too, so you know which ones you’re more likely to get a ticket for. Once you’ve registered and logged in, you can apply for as many attractions as you want and each ticket is valid for two people.

There is a large choice of attractions; from Buckmore Park Kart Circuit (I went there when I was 15 and it was fantastic), to museums and gardens, Spa Valley Railway and Wingham Wildlife Park. With so many entries, there are bound to be some disappointments, but Dave and I have been lucky the two years that I’ve applied for tickets!

In 2013, we got tickets for Standard Quay in Faversham. It was freezing cold and it was snowing, so we didn’t spend as long there exploring as we might have done on a warmer day. It was quite interesting though and made for some good shots despite my fairly abysmal photography skills!

There were some interesting shops there too. There was a shop called Aladdin’s Cave which had all sorts of vintage and retro goods for sale, it was very quirky. I spent ages in there! There was also a woodturners, a garden shop and a tearoom.

It wasn’t ‘a day out’ as such for us, but for some I can imagine it would be. Our feet were numb, so we only managed an hour and a half or so before we decided to go home and warm up!

Last year, I applied again and was successful in getting tickets to Rochester Castle. I’d been in the grounds of Rochester Castle many times and had always been interested in going inside, but had just never got round to it.

Again, it was a freezing and windy day – although at least the sun was shining! I was pregnant at the time and not having a very good day regarding nausea and dizziness, so I kept having to stop and close my eyes. However, it was very interesting looking around. I particularly enjoyed the model that showed how the castle and wall would have looked when it was built, along with labels showing what everything was. I did manage to get to the top as well and the views over Medway were fantastic. We spent quite some time up there admiring the view, until we eventually got fed up of being blown around.

If you live in Kent and are available that weekend, I’d definitely recommend having a browse through the attractions and applying for tickets (remembering the deadline of Friday!) You might get to visit somewhere you love or try somewhere new for nothing!

Have you ever heard of the Kent Big Weekend before or taken part in it? Let me know and do tell me if you manage to get tickets!

 

6 thoughts on “Be quick for Kent Big Weekend 2017”

  1. Great! There are some good places to explore in Kent and it’s near London. London is great for tourists (but expensive) and I also recommend Cornwall for its beautiful scenery.

  2. This is such a great idea! We are too far away, I wish they would do something like this near to us! Glad luck with your tickets this year x #bestandworst

  3. That’s a shame – I’m sure it’s a great incentive to boost tourism! If it wasn’t helping in some way I don’t think they’d have continued it for so long. Thank you x

  4. This is a great idea to get you to go somewhere you may not have been before. Shame it is always been so cold for you. I’d have needed a cuppa too! Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst

  5. I think it’s always the last weekend of March or first one of April, so it’s often not particularly pleasant weather! It is a great idea though, it’d be good if more counties did this.
    Thank you for commenting xx

Leave a comment