As the hugely successful Big Sleuth trail comes to an end this Sunday 17 September, organisers have announced that the 100 bear sculptures on the main trail will come together one last time at a special Farewell Weekend on Friday 6 October to Sunday 8 October!

A chance to say a fond farewell, the stunning ‘sleuth’ of bears will stand together at Birmingham’s Eastside City Park, next to Millennium Point, before being auctioned off on Thursday 12 October to raise vital funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

The Big Sleuth, presented by Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and creative producers Wild in Art, has won the hearts and minds of everyone in Birmingham and beyond this summer, with visitors coming from far and wide to explore the city’s streets, parks and open spaces.

The Big Sleuth bears will prowl away from their homes from this Sunday onwards and then all the bears on the main trail, including the four celebrity-endorsed bear cubs and community bears, will be showcased at The Farewell Weekend.

The event will give Bear-mingham one last opportunity to snap a selfie with their favourite bear, or see for the first time any of the sculptures they haven’t yet managed to get out and visit; all against the stunning backdrop of Millennium Point. There will also be craft stalls, entertainment, face painting, official Big Sleuth merchandise and much, much more!

Open to the public on Friday 6 October from 2pm to 6pm, Saturday 7 October from 10am to 6pm and Sunday 8 October from 10am to 4pm (last admission 5pm Friday and Saturday, and 3pm on Sunday). Tickets for the Farewell Weekend are limited and expected to sell out fast, so visitors are urged to book early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets can be purchased from www.thebigsleuth.co.uk/farewell and cost £5 for adults and £3 for 4-16 year olds, under 4s go free! All profits from the ticket sales will go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

Louise McCathie, Director of Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “We can't bear-lieve that after months of sleuthing fun, our bears are going to be prowling off our streets and The Big Sleuth is coming to an end! We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed with the response our bears have had over the past few months and how much joy they’ve brought to tourists and residents alike.

 

“We’re delighted to offer the public one last chance to see the bears. The Farewell Weekend will be a great event with all the main trail bears standing together in one giant sleuth! There will be a great festival atmosphere, for all the family, with artists, crafts, entertainment, food and much more! All the money raised will go towards making a real difference to our 90,000 children our hospital cares for each year.”

Following the Farewell Weekend, the bears will be auctioned off at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. The Big Hoot auction raised over £500,000 and The Big Sleuth organisers are hoping to exceed this amount this year.

You can follow The Big Sleuth on Twitter @thebigsleuth and use the hashtag #TheBigSleuth.

For more information about the project, please visit www.thebigsleuth.co.uk

Some The Big Sleuth Facts! 1.       10,687 app Downloads 2.       570,965 bear visits 3.       4,604 Votes 4.       35,295,8257 Steps Walked 5.       15,571,60.1 Miles Covered 6.       The Big Sleuth bears stretch across the whole region, with satellite trails in Sutton, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Resorts World and Sutton! 7.       50,000 children were involved in The Big Sleuth learning programme 8.       The Big Sleuth trail covers around 70 miles 9.       ‘Bear It In Mindfulness’ which was designed and brought to life by Betti Moretti and sponsored by Willmott Dixon took over 400 hours to complete, making it the longest bear to finish on the trail! 10.    ‘Taj Mahal by Sun and Moon’ by Lois Cordelli sponsored by Martineau Place was painted in the shortest amount of time by a solo artist – taking just 7 hours! 11.    ‘Bear Necessities’ which was designed and brought to life by artist Anne-Marie Byrne and sponsored by Biomaster, will have a unique antimicrobial coating to make it the first sculpture in the UK to have a truly hygienic finish. 12.    There are over 40,000 rhinestones in Peabody! 13.    The sun bear originates from South East Asia and 2017 is the 70th anniversary of Indian independence. The event also links to Birmingham City Council’s East South Asian Year of Culture. 14.    An array of famous faces have supported the trail including very well respected artists Temper and Reuben Colley, both of whom have designed bears. We also have The Vamps star Bradley Simpson, Adil Ray A.K.A Citizen Khan, Bear Grylls and a special Peaky Blinders bear endorsed by the show’s writer Steven Knight.