BLOCK leaping with the backdrop of Winckley Square Pic: Michael Porter

These pictures show just some of the encounters the people of Preston had with the arts during a three-day festival and celebration in the city.

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Lancashire Encounter took place in the Harris, Flag Market and Winckley Square from Friday onwards.

The biennial celebration takes in performances from across the county and an estimated 40,000 people enjoyed the plethora of events taking place.

From the up-tempo drama of dance troupe BLOCK throwing themselves around in Winckley Square to the whack-a-mole fun of reality games on the Flag Market.

Read more: Recap our live updates from all three days of Lancashire Encounter

Here’s a few fantastic pictures captured by Paul Melling and Michael Porter during the weekend.

Plans are already underway for the 2020 Encounter, and speaking with councillor Peter Kelly – who is in charge of culture and leisure for the city council – he is keen to see some kind of small-scale performance building on last year’s Brief Encounter.

The Encounter was created to act as a link-up between Guild years, as every Prestonian knows you have to wait 20 years for a Guild to come-a-round.

Read more: Watch the Red Dream Parade in full as it went through the city

Enjoy these pictures below, marking some of the highlights of the festival.

Playing the reality games on the Flag Market Pic: Michael Porter

Space Invaders – life size! Pic: Michael Porter

The Lancashire Community Choir in fine voice on the Harris steps Pic: Michael Porter

BLOCK’S opening night performance Pic: Michael Porter

Paul Melling captured the drama of the blocks

The performers went up high Pic: Paul Melling

The Saturday daytime performances of BLOCK Pic: Paul Melling

An artist reads aloud place names in the A-Z of Lancashire Pic: Michael Porter

The No Bull Run in full flow by the markets Pic: Michael Porter

A missile marches by the Harris on the Red Dream Parade Pic: Michael Porter

Dancing down Fishergate with the mill girls Pic: Michael Porter

The Red Dream Parade through the city centre Pic: Michael Porter

Sufi Zen performing on stage at Avenham Park Pic: Michael Porter

Hackney Colliery Band rounded things off Pic: Michael Porter