A galaxy of spectacular Rockets will be touching down at Leicester’s National Space Centre on 9th-10th October for a final weekend of space-tastic fun!
The Rocket Round Leicester art trail, 40 giant Rockets plus 38 mini Junior Jets, have been weaving a trail around the city for the past ten weeks.
Brought to Leicester by local charity LOROS Hospice together with leading art event producers Wild in Art, the Rockets will gather together for the last time before being auctioned off to raise much-needed funds for LOROS.
Tickets are available now for this special weekend, sponsored by the University of Leicester, which is a great opportunity to see the beautiful designs in one place. These include the hugely popular Blue Army Rocket, sponsored by Leicester City Football Club, Richard III Rocket King which has brought the king-in-the-car-park to life and many other favourites like Bogswamp, a giant blue fluffy monster.
Laura Betts, Fundraising Manager at LOROS Hospice, said: “Our Farewell Weekend is the perfect opportunity to catch any Rockets you may have missed, and say goodbye to your favourites! You can also unlock any missed rewards on the app and snap that perfect selfie!
“It will be an out-of-this-world family weekend!”
Many of the artists who painted the Rocket sculptures will be on hand to answer questions and talk about the inspiration behind their amazing designs too.
All the proceeds raised by tickets and merchandise will go to support LOROS patient care. Each year the charity supports more than 2,500 people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, delivering free, high-quality, compassionate care to terminally ill patients, their family and carers. LOROS has to raise £8.4 million from the local community every year to be able to deliver that care.
Laura adds: “The trail has been a real smash hit with the people of Leicester, bringing the community together after 18 months of isolation. The Rockets have taking us on a voyage of recovery as well as discovery.”
“Now we’re inviting everyone to come along to say farewell to these magnificent Rockets, and raise funds for your local hospice in the process.”
Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “The rocket trail has been a colourful and captivating highlight of summer in Leicester, and I’m delighted that we could host it and support LOROS in their incredible work.
“Seeing all of the rockets in one place for the first time will be a spectacular sight, and I’m sure many people will snap up the chance to do this and to help raise funds for their local hospice.”
Simon Jenner, Director of BID Leicester, said: “It’s been fantastic to see people of all ages in the city centre enjoying the Rocket Round Leicester trail. The additional footfall in the city has been a great boost to our local businesses during the summer months. The Farewell Event is a great opportunity to see all the sculptures one final time in an out-of-this-world setting, all whilst raising money for a good cause.”
The Farewell Weekend heralds the end of the Rocket Round Leicester trail. Next stop will be the glittering grand auction on Wednesday 13th October, where, it is hoped, they will raise tens of thousands of pounds for LOROS Hospice.
To book tickets for the Farewell Weekend or find out more about bidding at the auction visit loros.co.uk/rocket
