The successful event returns for 2022 and Newbury BID invite you to join the festivities!
We’re delighted to announce that the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On event will be returning for 2022 on Saturday 19th November.
Last year’s event, which took place on Saturday 20th November, resulted in one of the busiest days for Newbury Town Centre in nearly three years, with total footfall of nearly 35,000 recorded (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden!).
This year, local families and residents are invited to come and spend the day in Newbury Town Centre for a whole host of festive fun between 10am and 6pm.
The event, organised by Newbury BID and supported by Newbury Town Council, will be a celebration of local talent, as visitors can expect to see live music and entertainment dotted around at key locations across the town centre, a Christmas Market along Northbrook Street, Santa’s Grotto at Parkway Shopping, children’s fairground rides, and a selection of free family-friendly activities (TBC) at various town centre venues.
Additionally, classic children’s Christmas characters will be attending the event to offer personal meet and greets and photo opportunities for families. Last year’s sessions with novelty characters, including a Frozen princess and the Green Grinch, were arguably the most popular activity to take place throughout the event, with Newbury’s oldest store, Barry Forkin-Toomers, claiming they had never seen their store as busy as when the characters joined them in-store.
We are confident that the event will continue to help enhance Newbury’s festive offering and put Newbury on the map as a leading Christmas destination in the South East, strengthened by the presence of another Victorian Christmas Fayre delivered in partnership with market operators, LSD Promotions, and by Newbury Racecourse’s pilot Christmas Carnival event, in partnership with Underbelly Events, due to take place from late November to early January 2023.
We’re inviting the best local stallholders, choirs, talent, and entertainment to join them for the event, set to be one of the biggest in the town this year. Applicants are asked to express their interest or apply online on our website by clicking here.
Alison Drummond, our Operations Manager, states:
Our Christmas Lights Switch-On Festival in 2021 was undoubtedly the best Newbury has ever experienced and we are thrilled to deliver this festive event again for the town this year! We are strongly encouraging all visitors to take full advantage of the shops and eateries across town that will be open for business on the day and advise pre-booking at the local restaurants in advance, as last year many venues were fully booked prior to the event.
We are so thankful to all the organisations providing their services to help create a truly special and jam-packed day in Newbury and would like to give a special thanks to Newbury Town Council for their contribution toward the cost of the Christmas Lights Switch-On event.”
If you’re a stall holder, or part of a choir or entertainment act that would like to get involved with the event, please click here to find out more.
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For a list of all events taking place in Newbury town centre and beyond, please click here.