Darlington by the Sea made a return today (Tuesday, July 26) and crowds of families flooded to the town centre.
As visiting the coast can be difficult for many families, Darlington Borough Council has brought the seaside here to Darlington.
Darlington has been transformed into a seaside town complete with sand, deck chairs, and ice cream.
The beach is open for three days in total, today, tomorrow (Wednesday, July 27) and Thursday (July, 28) from 11am to 5pm.
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Councillor Alan Marshall, cabinet member for economy, said: “The first day of Darlington by the Sea has been wonderful to witness, the atmosphere in town was fantastic with so many families enjoying themselves in the sunshine.
“Thanks must go to our event sponsor Little Learners Darlington and also to our events team who I know work so hard to make days like this a success.
“The event continues tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday and I hope many more people take the opportunity to come down and enjoy the beach and the activities on offer.”
To add to the feel of a seaside resort there will also be live entertainment across the three days from Tom Rolf and the Party Boppers, as well as free face-painting, balloon animals and sand art.
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There will also be fairground rides, costing £1 a go.
The event is sponsored by Little Learners Darlington, which will also be providing a Little Learners Zone, with crafts and activities.
Jemma Ransom, from Little Learners Darlington, said: “I’m really excited to be involved with Darlington by the Sea, it’s such a great thing for families to do together. It looks set to be three days of fun and I look forward to welcoming children to the Little Learners Zone.”
Other activities during the summer holidays include The Dolphin Centre’s 40th birthday party on Saturday, July 30, from 12:30pm to 5pm.
There will also be a Fairy-tales and Legends Day from 11am to 4pm on Wednesday, August 24, where characters will entertain.
This free events includes an interactive musical theatre production on the stage in the market square from 2pm.
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