In just a few hours time the brightly painted Elmer sculptures will begin arriving on the streets of Ipswich ready for Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk.
A total of 55 large sculptures - including Archant's Sundaes in Suffolk - will be dotted around the town centre, along the Waterfront, in Christchurch Park and around Portman Road.
They will join the 84-strong Learning Herd which have already taken up their positions around town.
Eager Elmer hunters will be able to see the first early Saturday, as a select team from Elmer HQ, plus logistics partner Palletways, and two of St Elizabeth Hospice's trusty volunteers deliver the sculptures throughout the morning.
The official launch takes place on the Cornhill on Monday but you can start spotting as soon as the sculptures are out, marking them either on the paper map or via the app.
And if you are one of the very first to spot our Elmer - which will be located close to our offices in Princes Street - you could win an Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk Sticker and Activity Book
To be in with a chance of winning, simply find the statue and share a photo of you or your children with us via Instagram.
Tag @Eadt24 and @IpswichStar24 in your posts and don't forget to mention @StElizabethHospice too so they can share your selfies.
How can you take part in the trail?
Visitors can explore the trail in a number of different ways.
You can pick up a Parade Map and a copy of the Learning Herd Guide from locations around the town.
The parade map shows the locations of all 55 large Elmer sculptures with a listing detailing sculpture name, artist, sponsor and location. This map also shows the locations of the herds of young Elmers - 11 different locations in total.
Meanwhile, the Learning Herd Guide is a souvenir poster of all 84 young Elmers on one side, with a listing of all the young Elmers on the other, grouped in their herds. This is where you can find sculpture details, including title and school/youth organisation who have created the design. The idea is that the two documents work together.
The hospice are asking for a suggested donation of £1 for both the Parade Map and the Learning Herd Guide. The donation idea came about following feedback from Pigs Gone Wild, where people said they wanted to be able to donate to the hospice more easily.
Where can I find the map?
The Parade Map, Learning Herd Guide plus other Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk merchandise will be available from:
- Elmer HQ, in Gallery 2 of Ipswich Town Hall
- St Elizabeth Hospice shops - see the hospice website for locations
- Christchurch Mansion
- Ipswich Museum
- Ipswich Tourist Information Centre, Arras Square
- Holywells Park Visitor Centre
- Ipswich Library
- Coes, Norwich Road
- Idelo Travel, St Nicholas Street
- Penikkity Pots Ceramics Café, Crown & Anchor Mews Tower Ramparts
And the following locations will be stocking maps and guides only:
- Archant, Princes Street
- The Reg Driver Visitor Centre in Christchurch Park
- Ipswich Building Society Mutual House, Princes Street
- All other Ipswich Building Society branches
- BBC Radio Suffolk, St Matthew's Street
- LoveOne, St Peter's Street
- Emma's Florist, St Peter's Street
- Jacey's Coffee House, St Stephen's Lane
Is there an App?
The Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk app is available to download from today. It will be available from the App Store and Google Play and will cost £1.99. A percentage of the net profit from each purchase is donated to St Elizabeth Hospice.
Along the way there will be special offers and promotions so make sure you enable notifications.
How long will it take to complete? And are there any tips?
The trail runs right through to September so there is plenty of time to collect them all - you could simply tick them off as you travel around the town centre or make a concerted effort to visit the trail.
The trail has been divided into four zones, making it more manageable, You could do one zone at a time, mix between them or complete all four in one go - although this will involve a fair few miles of walking.
This weekend is likely to be busy and you may have to wait your turn to get a selfie with the Elmer's.
The furthest flung Elmer's will be at Ipswich railway station and the Holywells Park Visitor Centre. There are two close to Henley Road - at Ipswich School and The Arboretum.
The largest concentration are around Butter Market and the Waterfront if you want some easy spots with little ones.
The Learning Herds are mainly in the town centre and are all inside so ideal for hunting on a wet day.
Elmer Stickers
The Elmer sticker book is available now from the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star HQ in Princes Street, from most Co-op stores, Elmer HQ, St Elizabeth Hospice chops, and the Tourist Information Centre.
From Monday, we will be printing a voucher in every edition of the EADT and Ipswich Star that you can use to claim a free packet of stickers. Alternatively, you can purchase stickers for £1 per pack.
Share your Elmer stories
Will you be the first to complete the Elmer trail this weekend? Share your Elmer stories and pictures with us via email
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here