The inaugural Cheshire Residents’ Festival has been a big success with tickets selling out, some of them within hours of being available.

Residents were able to enjoy some of the region’s excellent tourist attractions for free to celebrate the annual week-long celebration of English Tourism Week which took place from March 25 to April 2.

Attractions across Cheshire (Jodrell Bank, Tatton Park, Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Quarry Bank, RSPB Burton Mere, Crewe Lyceum, Anderton Boat Lift, Congleton Museum, Capesthorne Hall, Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre, The Potters Barn, Tabley House, Port Sunlight, Adlington Hall, Englesea Brook Chapel & Museum, The Silk Museum and Paradise Mill, Reaseheath Zoo and Norton Priory) all generously gave either free entry, free performances or two-for-one entry to residents who signed up on the Marketing Cheshire website.

Marketing Cheshire, alongside Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council, formulated Cheshire’s first ever residents’ festival as a way of saying thank you for the warm welcome residents give to the 48 million visitors that visit the region.

The concept of the festival was born from the notion that whilst residents have some of the country’s most brilliant attractions on their doorstep, which millions of tourists travel across the country for, there are many of Cheshire’s own residents that haven’t ever experienced them.

Chief executive of Marketing Cheshire, Katrina Michel, said: ‘We wanted to celebrate English Tourism Week by encouraging our residents to put themselves in the shoes of the tourists. Our attractions generously gave many entrances and tickets for free and we were astounded by how receptive our residents were. The tickets sold out, some as soon as they were available.”

She added: “I’m delighted that Cheshire Residents’ Festival gave the opportunity for our residents of Cheshire to become ambassadors of our county. They are the strongest advocates for our region’s tourism offering.”

Deputy leader of Cheshire East Council, Cllr David Brown, said: “Our tourist economy continues to enjoy fantastic growth, thanks in no small part to the continued investment and innovative nature of our world-class attractions, such as Tatton Park, Jodrell Bank and, indeed, many others.

“Cheshire Residents’ Festival has given our residents the opportunity to explore and savour the ‘leisure treasures’ on their own doorstep – and to become even prouder ambassadors for our wonderful county and all it has to offer to visitors from both near and far.”