34 pictures show the roaring success of Lancaster’s Dino Fest 2023

Thousands of people young and old flocked to Lancaster city centre at the weekend to enjoy the ever-popular Dino Fest.

The much-loved festival included outdoor dinosaur performances, plus the chance to handle real dinosaur fossils and speak to professional palaeontologists.

New for this year was a dino and fossil market, and a craft area.

You could get your photo taken next to a Jurassic Park Jeep to celebrate 30 years since the original film was released.

Festival organisers Lancaster BID were also able to bring Dinomania – runners up in Britain’s Got Talent 2022 – to Lancaster for the first time.

Some of the Dinomania dinosaurs were roaming free in the city centre as well as offering workshops for younger children.

Dino Fest marks Lancaster’s prehistoric links as the home of Sir Richard Owen – the man who came up with the word ‘dinosaur’.

Enjoy our selection of photos from across the weekend by Joshua Brandwood and Guardian photographer Kelvin Lister-Stuttard.