01229 585 778 | admin@ulverstoncouncil.org.uk
Ulverston Town Council Office, County Square, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7LZ
Charter Family Fun Day Festival Saturday 12th September
Ulverston Lantern Festival Saturday 19th September
Ulverston Civic Sunday 2026
Sir John Barrow Cottage Town Council blue plaque unveiling
World Environment Day – FREE Drop-in Event
Ulverston Open Gardens 2026 – Sat 20 & Sun 21 June
The new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Ulverston 2026/ 2027
Ulverston 20mph speed limit proposals- have your say
Ulverston Town Council’s UK Town of Culture 2028 bid outcome
*Ulverston BID AGM*
The Ulverston BID 2026 AGM will take place on Friday 11th September 2026 at 9.30am, Ulverston Methodist Church
The AGM is open to all BID levy payers and their representatives, and refreshments will be provided.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for levy payers to hear about Ulverston BIDs activities in the last 15 months, meet the BID board, give feedback and ask questions.
Join us on Saturday 12th September, 10.30am – 3.30pm, in Ulverston Town Centre for a FREE fun-filled day to commemorate the gifting of the Market Charter to the town in 1280.
There’ll be live music and entertainment, free face painting, giant games, free balloon modelling, free art & craft session, free LEGO building [with prizes], a variety of stalls, model train rides, walkabout entertainers, food vendors, inshore rescue boat, human fruit machine, fire engine….and more!
The popular Family Dog Show takes place at Market Cross at 2pm. There’s no entry fee and no need to book – just show up and join in!
This year’s categories are:
- Best Trick
- Waggiest Tail
- Best Younger Dog
- Best Older Dog
- Best Friend [owner + dog]
- Overall Winner
Everyone who enters will receive a prize.
2026 Theme – Dusk til Dawn
Ulverston Lantern Festival aims to captivate thousands of people and inspire hundreds of lantern makers with wonderful twilight-active creatures, moons, stars, owls., fireflies, rabbits, deer, foxes and everything night-time with its ‘Dusk til Dawn’ theme for the 2026 procession.
On Saturday September 19th, Ulverston will once again come alive with a river of light that will start from four points around the town before converging on County Square to come together in a dazzling display, with the fireworks finale in Ford Park at the end of the evening.
Lantern kits will be on sale soon, further details to follow when the kits have been made up and they are available to purchase.
Lantern workshops will be taking place again – details to follow when available.
CIVIC SUNDAY 2026
Thank you to everyone who attended Civic Sunday yesterday for the new Ulverston Mayor, Cllr Paul Smith. There was a special service in the Parish Church followed by a parade through town to the Coro, where afternoon tea was served accompanied by the fantastic Ulverston Town Band.
We would like to thank –
Reverend Madi Simpson
Reverend Hayley Edmondson
Ulverston Parish Church
Ulverston Town Band
Sqn Ldr Elizabeth Parker RAFAC
Standard Bearers
Town Crier Mr Peter Winston
Traffic marshals
The Coro
Ma Sharps Catering
and anyone who has contributed in any way to Civic Sunday.
If you have any pictures of the event, we would love to see them! Please email to admin@ulverstoncouncil.org.uk
On Friday 19th June (which is Sir John Barrow’s birthday!) the Mayor of Ulverston, Cllr Paul Smith unveiled the new Town Council blue plaque on the Sir John Barrow Cottage.
The event was attended by Sir John Barrows great, great, great grandson, Mr Dennis Batty, along with around 30 other people.
Thank you to those involved, including Greenlane Archaeology Ltd who run the cottage which is owned by Ulverston Town Council.
Celebrate World Environment Day!
Saturday 13 June, 10am – 1pm
The Coro, Ulverston
Join us for a free drop-in event celebrating World Environment Day and discover how small changes can make a big difference to reduce textile waste and live more sustainably.
What’s On
- Learn about textile waste – Representatives from Westmorland and Furness / Cumbria Council’s Waste Reduction Team will be on hand to answer questions and offer practical advice on reducing textile waste.
- Coro Craft Club (9.30am – 12.30pm) – Decorate and take home your own reusable cotton drawstring bag.
- Free sewing repair kits – Pick up a kit and learn how simple repairs can help extend the life of your clothes.
- Pre-loved clothing sale – Browse a range of quality second-hand clothing from St Mary’s Hospice.
- Second-hand school uniform rail – Helping families save money while reducing waste. Donations in support of Ulverston Food Project are welcome.
- Textile waste information display – Watch a looping slideshow highlighting the environmental impact of textile waste.
- Climate Book Group – Find out more about local opportunities to discuss climate and environmental issues.
- Decorate a bunting flag – A free drop-in activity for all ages.
- Textile Savvy Ulverston Directory – Take away a free guide to local organisations, businesses and initiatives that support sustainable fashion and textile reuse.
All welcome. No booking required – just drop in!.
Ulverston Open Gardens return on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June this year, as gardens across Ulverston open their gates for a weekend of discovery.
Whether you are a keen gardener or simply looking for a relaxing day out, discover hidden corners, colourful borders and inspiring planting ideas in the many gardens across Ulverston taking part this year.
£5 per adult payable on the day. £3 for a single garden. Children free.
Click here to view page 1 of the programme.
Click here to view page 2 of the programme.
On Monday 18th May at the Annual Meeting of Ulverston Town Council, Cllr Paul Smith was elected as the new Mayor of Ulverston, and Cllr Christine Howard was elected as Deputy.
Ulverston Town Council has provisionally secured funding through Westmorland and Furness Council to reduce the speed limit in the area to 20mph, to promote safer roads, reduce vehicle noise and enhance the environment for more walking and cycling.
You can comment online here
There will also be an opportunity to share views with the Westmorland and Furness 20mph team on:
- Monday 27 April, 3pm
- At the Coronation Hall, Ulverston
UK TOWN OF CULTURE 2028
The official shortlist for Town of Culture 2028 has been announced and unfortunately Ulverston was not in the final 15 shortlist this time. We felt it was very important for the town to put our bid in though, you have to be in it to win it!
Competition was fierce, and it attracted almost 400 Expressions of Interest from towns across the country.
From those applications, judges selected five large towns, five medium towns and five small towns to progress to the next stage.
The shortlisted large towns are :
Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby, Rotherham and South Shields.
The shortlisted medium towns are:
Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd and Port Talbot.
The shortlisted small towns are:
Ilfracombe, the Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown and Strabane.
Each of the 15 shortlisted towns will now receive £60,000 to develop a full bid before one overall winner is selected to become the UK’s Town of Culture 2028.
We would like to say a big thank you to all of the organisations, groups, festivals and individuals who came together to help us shape our Expression of Interest.
We congratulate the shortlisted towns and wish them every success in the next stage of the competition. Ulverston Town Council looks forward to seeing the Town of Culture programme celebrate communities across the country, while Ulverston continues writing the next chapter of its own cultural story.
We’re more committed than ever to celebrating the towns heritage, culture, supporting our creative communities, and creating opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
To view the letter received from UK Town of Culture, click here
