Winter Festival to get shoppers into Christmas spirit in Great Yarmouth town centre

The three-week extravaganza will run from November 30 to December 23, and revolve around four differently-themed weekends, with businesses now offered the special opportunity to sell their festive food, drink, arts, crafts and gifts from one of these special trading spaces in the Market Square.

The first weekend will be the popular 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 Christmas Lights Switch-on, with live entertainment and fireworks that evening. Over the three days of the fayre, families will be able to visit the gazebos and wooden chalets, which traders are invited to rent to offer their festive food, gifts and crafts, including toys, sweets, jewellery and chutneys.

New for 2018, there will also be a children's funfair and an animated projection onto one of the buildings, telling a heart-warming Christmas tale. 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.

The town centre will continue to buzz with shoppers and families over the next three themed weekends of the Winter Festival, with entertainment provided by SeaChange Arts, which is also decorating the wooden chalets and creating the animated projection.

Other attractions in the town centre during the Christmas period will include Santa's Post Office, Santa's Grotto, late night shopping, the Lantern Parade, Christmas Tree and Crib Festival and free Sunday parking on all council-run town centre surface car parks.

To enquire about booking a special gazebo or wooden chalet for any of the themed Winter Festival weekends, please visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/winter-festival-get-involved. These trading spaces measure 10ft by 10ft.

Cllr Barry Coleman, chairman of the economic development committee, said: "The Winter Festival will run right through the festive period in the lead-up to Christmas, bringing thousands of families into Great Yarmouth town centre to buy presents, have fun and soak up the Christmas atmosphere.

"With four themed weekends to choose from, hiring a gazebo or beautifully-decorated wooden chalet is the ideal way for traders, retailers and micro-breweries to be part of something truly special and showcase your wares to customers in our historic town centre. Availability of trading space is limited, so please book quickly to secure a place."

Town centre manager Jonathan Newman, of the Town Centre Partnership, said: "The Winter Festival will be a wonderful boost for the town centre during the all-important Christmas period. Together with all the other Christmas attractions planned in the town centre, the decorated wooden chalets and gazebos will really add to that festive feel and are a brilliant opportunity for traders, retailers and micro-breweries."