THOUSANDS of people descended on a popular park for a family fun fair.

The four-day event took place in Corporation Park in Preston New Road, Blackburn, between Thursday and Sunday.

Despite bad weather at times, the event in the traditional Victorian park, was well-attended and proved a real hit with visitors.

The weather did see the event significantly reduce in size, with only about a quarter of the usual fair there, but there was still a variety of rides and activities for families to enjoy.

Visitors were able to enjoy fair ground rides, a bouncy castle, fun house and a range of refreshments from hot food to sweets and cold drinks.

Kurt Hill, owner of the Northwest Funfairs, who organised the event, which came to Corporation Park for the first time, said the event proved to be a ‘success’.

Mr Hill said: “We planned for it to be a bigger fun fair but due to the weather conditions, only about a quarter of the rides, around 10 rides, making it here.

“It’s been pretty successful though, as people are happy with it and it’s gone down well with the people of Blackburn.

“It was a free event to get in and people would then pay £1.25 a ride or £10 for eight rides.

“The weather’s not been brilliant but we’ve not let it stop is making the best of things.

And organisers said yesterday proved to be the busiest day with hundreds of revellers attending the fair.

Mr Hill said: “We held a similar fun fair in Shadsworth earlier this year which went down well.

“But this fun fair has really seen families turn out with the children off on their summer break at the moment.

“It’s our first visit to Corporation Park and I’d say it’s gone down really well with the people of Blackburn overall.

“We’ll have to wait and see if we come back next year as you have to get permission from the council but it would be good to come back.”

Bolton-based North West Funfairs organise a number of public and private funfairs throughout the year across the North West.

They are set to hold another fun fair in Queen’s Park, Bolton, from next Thursday.

This is also set in a traditional Victorian setting like Corporation Park.

Corporation Park was landscaped by William Henderson and opened in 1857 and is regarded as the main formal park in Blackburn.