Details of Great Yarmouth’s first ever Winter Festival have been released.
The debut event will feature four themed weekends with a focus on arts and crafts, micro breweries, and food and is billed as “a new concept.”
Walkabout acts from the creators of the Out There Festival will add a sprinkle of festive magic, with fairground rides and a large animated projection on one of the buildings adding to the entertainment.
The Market Square, which last year hosted the controversial ice-skating rink, will be the venue for a continental-style Christmas market with mulled wine and mince pies and plenty of wooden chalets spilling over with things to buy and cram under the Christmas tree.
Meanwhile Great Yarmouth’s tree will be moved to the Minster Green, closer to the roadside and one of the gateway entrances to the town where it will be more visible.
MORE: New report assesses whether Great Yarmouth’s ice rink was a worthwhile ventureThe three-week extravaganza will run from November 30 to December 23.
The first weekend will be the regular Christmas Fayre, from November 30 to December 2, followed by a new arts and crafts weekend from December 7 to 9. Micro-breweries have the chance to showcase their speciality craft beers and ales from December 14 to 16, with the series rounding off with a food festival from December 21 to 23.
Organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, in partnership with Great Yarmouth Town Centre Partnership, the first day of the Christmas Fayre will include the switch-on, with live entertainment and fireworks.
Over the three days of the fayre, families will be able to visit the 20 gazebos and wooden chalets.
The Minster will be filled with stalls offering handcrafted gifts and tasty treats, while the Christmas tree will be positioned on the Minster green and “lit up with decorations to wow and welcome visitors to the town centre,” a spokesman said.
Other attractions will include Santa’s Post Office, Santa’s Grotto, late night shopping, the Lantern Parade, the Christmas Tree and Crib Festival and free Sunday parking on all council-run town centre surface car parks.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here