A Blackburn festival, that is attended by thousands each year, has been nominated for three awards.

The Festival of Making has been nominated in a number of categories at the UK Festival Awards - best non music festival, best family festival and best medium-sized festival.

The news comes after Festival of Making was shortlisted among some of the best large events across Lancashire in the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2023.

A spokesperson for the festival said the annual town centre event has “gone from strength to strength” since its premiere in 2017.

The festival organisers are asking those who have been to the National Festival of Making, took part in one of their workshops, have been to a talk, participated in a project or just love what they do, to vote for them.

Lauren Zawadzki and Elena Jackson, directors of the National Festival of Making, said: “The National Festival of Making has gone from strength to strength since our first edition in 2017 and as in independent art and culture festival it’s inspiring to be nominated for several awards this year, including three UK Festival Awards.

“The National Festival of Making brings 40,000 people to Blackburn each summer to celebrate making in all its forms, from the kitchen table to the factory floor. There’s something for all ages to see and do, and to be recognised for our work in this way will spur us on to do even more in the future.”

This year’s festival took place in July. Marquees were put up at locations including the bus station, The Mall, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, the Cotton Exchange, Tony’s Ballroom, Town Hall Square, the Making Rooms and Blackburn Cathedral.

You can vote for the festival by visiting Survey Monkey at: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GQPMKBR