Festive fun coming to Swindon town centre

Christmas decorations will be going up in the town centre over the coming days with a Christmas tree arriving outside the former Debenhams unit in The Parade on Wednesday, 18 November.

A Christmas Jumper Jam will then take place on Saturday, 28 November, to mark the Christmas tree lights switch-on event with choirs singing carols creating a festive atmosphere. The first 100 attendees, who are wearing Christmas jumpers on the day, will receive a free hot drink. All attendees will also receive a free ticket for a prize raffle with one of the top prizes being a family ticket to this year’s pantomime at the Wyvern Theatre courtesy of Trafalgar.

A variety of other events will form Swindon Winter Fest in collaboration with Swindon Culture Collective, will also be taking place in the lead-up to Christmas including:

• Swindon Festive Feast, 26 November to 1 December – a variety of food offerings, including some festive favourites, will be available throughout The Parade following the success of the Continental Market last month
• a free Santa’s Grotto at the Brunel Shopping Centre on selected dates from 14 November
• Swindon’s Pantomime: Jack and the Beanstalk, from 5 December to 3 January at the Wyvern Theatre
• a Magical Lantern Forest: A Winter’s Tale, 28 (12pm to 6.30pm) and 29 November and 4, 5, 6 December (10am to 5pm), at the former Argos store (19 Canal Walk) - visitors can walk beneath a glowing canopy of woven willow, marvel at handcrafted paper lanterns, and look out for friendly, giant woodland creatures hidden among the trees, all inspired by beloved fables and folklore
• two workshops to help populate the Lantern Forest, where children are invited to help create willow and paper lanterns. Families can drop by the Swindon Hub (SN1 1BA) on Saturday, 14 November between 10am and 4pm to get involved before seeing their creations out in the open at the forest
• events and activities, which will also be taking place throughout December every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 19 Canal Walk. More details will be available on do.swindon.co.uk in the near future
• Stephen Hill’s Funfair, which will be at Wharf Green

Councillor Matthew Vallender, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Planning and Regeneration, said: “Christmas is coming to town and it’s time for us all to get into the festive spirit.

“While some people may have been putting the decorations up right after Halloween (or even earlier) our decorations have now arrived in the town centre with the centrepiece arriving next week.

“We’ve got plenty of family-friendly festive fun taking place between now and the big day, including our tree light switch-on and the festive food market.

“Whether you’re looking for a quick bite, Christmas gifts or just looking to get into the holiday spirit, then the town centre is sure to have something to tickle your fancy.”

Alongside events in the town centre, Lydiard Park and the STEAM Museum are also hosting a variety of events to help visitors and residents get into the Christmas spirit. More information can be found on the respective websites.