THE Grand Pier team have announced that the seaside tourist attraction is the newest sponsor of The Unicornfest Art Trail.

The trail starts today (Saturday, July 1) and runs until Sunday, September 3.

The free-to-access family event, which features 60 unicorn sculptures, celebrates the magic and beauty of these mythical creatures.

The Unicornfest website reads: "Unicornfest, part of the 650th anniversary celebrations for Bristol, seeks to unite the business and creative sectors, as well as local communities and schools across Bristol and the surrounding area, bringing art, colour and fun to the streets of the city this year.

"Celebrate summer along the Unicorn Trail in brilliant Bristol! The unicorns will be spread across Bristol and the South West- from the Clifton Suspension Bridge to Weston-super-Mare pier."

If you have visited the pier recently, you may have noticed Sandy the Unicorn stood at the entrance. Sandy was designed by illustrator Paula Bowles. 

Katie Robertson, PR & Marketing manager at The Grand Pier, said: "We are overwhelmed with the love and support that our unicorn has received across our social media channels over the past 24 hours.

"The Unicornfest Art Trail is something we are so proud to be involved in and offers a unique opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate art and culture."

As well as meeting Sandy the unicorn, visitors to The Grand Pier can enjoy lots of fun filled activities throughout summer, including free face painting and a free scavenger hunt with exciting prizes to be won.

To locate all 60 unicorns, residents can download the Unicornfest app on their smartphones. Visitors are also encouraged to share their experiences on social media using #TheUnicornfest.

The charity beneficiaries of the trail are Leukaemia Care, the UK's leading leukaemia charity. 

Once the trail is finished, the statues with been gathered at Propyard before they are sent to auction in October. The proceeds raised will be donated to the leukaemia charity, which provides care and support to individuals, families and friends affected by leukaemia and associated conditions. 

More information can be found on the Unicornfest website and on The Grand Pier website.