Thousands of free tickets to top attractions across the county are going up for grabs for the annual Kent Big Weekend.

The event, organised by Visit Kent to encourage people to see what's on offer in the county, will this year be held on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, the first weekend of the school Easter holidays.

Experiences on offer this year range 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.

Registration for this year's Kent Big Weekend opens on Thursday, February 20 and closes on Monday, March 16. Kent residents can apply for as many tickets as you like, and the winners will be selected at random.

It is only open to people living in Kent and you need to be 18 or over to put in for tickets.

Now in its 14th year, the event has grown in scale and popularity and started out with 80 attractions donating 10,000 free tickets.

Last year's was bigger than ever with almost 140 tourism businesses and attractions taking part, offering more than 36,000 tickets.Once the ballot has taken place, hundreds of pairs of free tickets will be dished out to lucky winners.

Attractions taking part last year included castles from Leeds Castle near Maidstone to Dover Castle and National Trust sites, to the Historic Dockyard Chatham, and wildlife sites such as Eagle Heights near Eynsford and Wildwood Trust at Herne Bay.

People can try animal encounters, brewery and vineyard tours and tastings, family fun and river tours for free as part of the weekend.

To find out more and apply for tickets when the ballot opens, go to kentbigweekend.co.uk

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