Roll up, roll up, your annual chance to WIN free tickets to a host of attractions and activities across the Garden of England has arrived. What are we talking about? Why, the Kent Big Weekend, of course!

If you’re a Kent resident, now is the perfect opportunity to take a look at some of this year’s fantastic offers and free tickets, available right on your doorstep.

All you need to do to get involved is enter the online ballot between 20th February and 16th March, and you and a lucky friend could be heading off for a Kent Big Weekend adventure on 4th and 5th April, as part of Visit Kent’s annual celebration of the county’s tourism industry.

Some of the county’s biggest attractions have signed up to take part in this year’s event, including: Dover Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, Folkestone Harbour Arm, Hever Castle, the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Gusbourne Estates, Dreamland Margate, Kent Life, Bewl Water, and Ightham Mote.

And, it doesn’t stop there with the Big Weekend also giving residents a chance to uncover a wide range of smaller, hidden gems throughout the county, including: Conningbrook Lakes, Dover Transport Museum, the Seaside Museum Herne Bay, Romney Marsh Wools, Lullingstone Roman Villa, Mount Ephraim Gardens, Rotten Ramsgate Tours, the Heritage Transport Show, Guided Walks of Royal Tunbridge Wells, and Nemes Diving & Water Sports Academy.

In fact, over 120 Kent tourist attractions and businesses will be opening their doors or offering special gifts to lucky ticket holders this year, with experiences on offer ranging from entry into some of the county’s most iconic castles and close encounters with wild animals, to delicious meals, relaxing afternoon teas for two, and adrenaline-inducing activities.

With over 33,000 tickets up for grabs in this year’s ballot, the Kent Big Weekend is the perfect excuse to get out and discover (or rediscover) exactly what makes the Garden of England so special…

Residents can apply for as many pairs of tickets as they like at www.kentbigweekend.co.uk from today, until 16 th March. Following this, two tickets (one pair of tickets) per household will then be allocated at random by ballot (some family tickets are available).

Deirdre Wells OBE, Chief executive of Visit Kent, said: “The Kent Big Weekend marks the start of the tourist season and is a fantastic way to celebrate all that’s on offer across the Garden of England. Over the last 14 years, the Big Weekend has given our residents some brilliant opportunities to discover, and rediscover, what’s happening in their home county and this year is no different! “Once again, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support from attractions and businesses across the county, and the range of visitor experiences on offer. We would encourage all of our Kent residents to get involved and discover the amazing things to see and do right on their doorstep.

This year’s event will once again support The Family Holiday Association, with a range of attractions also donating tickets to the charity, giving great days out to families that are normally unable to take holidays together. For further information inspiration on things to do in Kent, head to www.visitkent.co.uk.