Locals will be celebrating across the county today as they show their county pride on the fourth official Lincolnshire Day.
Lincolnshire Day was first celebrated in 2006 and the day has become a popular opportunity across the county to hold charity and entertainment events, in a bid to help the local economy and provide an extra boost to the county’s major industries.
The main event this year is the Big Draw at Lincoln castle from 10.30am to 3.30pm. Residents are invited to help draw a Lincolnshire-themed picture, using the castle’s lawn is being used as a canvas.
Mike Bowdidge, an artist who is behind the Big Draw, is excited to see it finished, but says he isn’t sure what to expect of the 80m by 20m artwork.
“It is going to be hard to say [how it will turn out]. I have an idea… but I will end up seeing it differently.”
“The Collection asked me to get involved because I have connections to Lincolnshire with the gallery Bend in the River, which is in Gainsborough.”
Will Mason, a culture officer at the County Council, says: “There cannot be many better ways to celebrate Lincolnshire Day than at one of the county’s most iconic landmarks.
“People can get involved in The Big Draw to create Lincolnshire’s biggest ever drawing, and then spend the rest of the day at the castle for free.”
The chairman of Lincolnshire County, Councillor Roy Chapman, and his wife will be joining in the celebrations at the castle.
Cllr Chapman says: “This is an important day in the Lincolnshire calendar, and I hope many of the county’s residents will take part in the celebrations there, showing how proud we are of this special county.”
Other events during the day are Gaol Break at the castle, remembering the time when Lincoln jail was home to some of the most notorious prisoners of the time. The Epic Centre at the Lincoln showground is hosting the first Lincolnshire business convention, with guest speaker Richard Reed, the co-founder of Innocent Drinks.