Following Warrington Market’s record breaking week the week before, it smashed its own newly set record for the highest ever footfall, with 31,860 visitors coming through the doors last week, which is nearly 3,000 more than the record set the previous week.

Market footfall on Saturday was 9,295, compared to 6,770 on the same Saturday last year, and on Sunday, 3,583 people came through the doors, compared to 1,993 on the same Sunday last year.

Across the weekend (Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July), special summer events took place across Time Square and the town centre, as the heart of the town came alive with fun and activity with a packed schedule of live performances, art, music, activity and colour.

On Saturday, around 800 people took part in the events throughout the day taking part across the day. Visitors to Time Square enjoyed Street Games, with inclusive and accessible games from around the world, plus live music and dance with BSL performance and interpretation, and the Many Hands parade brought people together to explore the shared communicative power and expressive potential of hands. 

‘Wake Me Up Before You Dodo’, tied in with the environmentally themed events in the town centre, with a family friendly exhibition at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery about endangered wildlife. Also, back by popular demand, Out of the Deep Blue, everyone’s favourite eco-friendly puppet Eko returned to Time Square to the delight of visitors for shows on Saturday and Sunday.

Even with the threat of rain on Sunday, around 700 people saw the Eko show in Time Square. Families took to Queens Gardens which hosted a giant whale – The Whale: Plastic Ocean invited bold explorers to encounter an ‘aquabatic’ diver, a shipwrecked pirate with a treasure tale to tell, a real life mermaid with a haunting siren’s song, and an intriguing secret alongside a true-to-life 50ft inflatable sperm whale.

There was also a Sunflowers performance at Palmyra Square, with Culture Warrington presenting a new, eye-catching dance, aerial and hand balancing performance designed for children and families. A ‘Be Kind to Our Planet’ family workshop completed the day at the Parr Hall, with six local artists hosting a programme of free, drop-in workshops themed around the environment.

Cllr Tom Jennings, cabinet member for economic development and innovation, said: “These new footfall figures, smashing the previous week’s numbers, demonstrate that our market, Time Square and the wider town centre continue to go from strength to strength as people visit Warrington for shopping, leisure and family fun, with the summer events programme bringing in the crowds — there truly is something for everyone, so make sure you don't miss out."

Warrington town centre summer events programme has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered in partnership with the council, Culture Warrington, Warrington Market and the Warrington Business Improvement District (BID).