Christchurch Christmas Festival will take place this Saturday (28 November) and one of the highlights will be the live reindeer parade at 4pm.
The day’s events start at 9.30am with a Charity Santa Run from Christchurch Rowing Club on the Quay, following a mile long course. Entries cost £16 for adults and £11 for children, which includes a Santa Suit.
There will be a Christmas market in the High Street 10am to 7pm with music and entertainment throughout the day in Saxon Square and other locations.The Priory Church will be holding its Advent Fair and Christmas Craft Fair from 10am to 6.30pm while the library will be giving children the opportunity to make Christmas cards and decorations from 2pm to 3pm.
Festive fun continues up and down Bargates from 2pm to 4pm and Christchurch Baptist Church will have craft activities and ‘get in the picture’ nativity photos with live donkeys.
Santa and his reindeer will fly into Peeks Partystore car park in Reid Street at 4pm and will process down Bargates to arrive in the High Street at 4.30pm.
Santa will then take his reindeer down to the Priory Church where they can be petted and children can hand in their Christmas wish letters. This year there is a new candle-lit route to see Santa and the reindeer. It starts from the gates opposite the Kings Arms Hotel in Castle Street and not from the Priory gates.
The Christmas lights switch-on will take place in the High Street at 6pm when Heart FM breakfast show presenters Rich and Zoe will help the Mayor, Cllr Frederick Neale turn the lights on. Panto characters from the BIC’s pantomime, Snow White, will also be there to talk to the crowd from the balcony of the Mayor’s Parlour.
For more information go to the website christchurch.christmas or on Facebook at christchurchchristmasfestival.
