Festive fun is coming to town this Saturday (26 November) as Spalding hosts a Christmas Celebration, with live entertainment, games, competitions, food, crafts, gift stalls and much more to help get residents and visitors into the spirit.
The event, organised by South Holland District Council and funded through the town centre improvement plan, will run from 11am until 5pm, with the opportunity to get Christmas shopping done early with a variety of gifts, crafts and festive-themed food from both the local market traders and special visiting stalls.
There will be fun on offer for the whole family, with entertainment options including a giant snow globe, vintage carousel and swing boat ride, as well as a pop-up vintage theatre from renowned ‘Punch and Judy Inc’ in the South Holland Centre.
There will also be great live music and a variety of street entertainment, including the cast of this year’s South Holland Centre pantomime – Cinderella – and Santa’s Helpers from Rhubarb Theatre Co.
Spalding United Reformed Church will be hosting a Christmas Fair, Tree Walk and coffee morning alongside a fun elves workshop, with Broad Street Methodist Church getting involved with a craft and coffee morning until 1pm and a beautiful display of Christmas trees and decorations to enjoy.
The event will also see the launch of this year’s Nutcracker Trail, with nutcracker soldiers hiding in local shops, with those who find them all in with a chance of winning some great prizes.
There will also be a fancy dress competition, with the winner being invited to turn on the town’s Christmas lights after carols by candlelight, which will cap off the festivities at 4.30pm.
The event is the latest community event to be funded by the Council’s town centre improvement budget, following last month’s Spalding Pumpkin Festival, which local businesses have praised for providing a notable increase in footfall and revenue in the area.
Rodney Grocock, portfolio holder for Spalding town improvement, said: “I am delighted that we are able to run this popular event again, which will attract a great number of residents and visitors to the town centre to have fun and support some of our fantastic local businesses at this crucial time of year for them.
“One of our key aims is to support town centre businesses with events that generate footfall, and events like this that bring the local community together are crucial for what we hope to achieve.”
Councillor Gary Taylor, portfolio holder for communities and facilities, said: “I’m looking forward to another great attendance at this year’s Celebration, with such a brilliant variety of entertainment, games and activities for the whole family on offer. It is sure to be another great event for the town, and hopefully will be the perfect start to the Christmas period.”
As part of this event, Market Place, Hall Place, Sheep Market and Gore Lane will be closed from 6.30am till 6.30pm on Saturday 26 November and the Sheep Market Car Park will be closed from 5.00pm on Friday 25 November until 7.30pm on Saturday 26 November.
