St James Square | 25th November 2023 12:00 pm | 6:00 pm FREE
The Great Grimsby Christmas Festival will kick off the festivities in the town centre on Saturday 25 November.
This one-day free event will showcase interactive and lively festive entertainment throughout the day, with a community-led programme of live music, arts and crafts, walkabout acts and ending with a lantern parade and the community tree lighting. There will also be a hyper local festive market, featuring seasonal crafts and gifts along with delicious food stalls, as well as further festive activities at Top Town Market and Freshney Place.
We’re seeking families and individuals who want to create their own Christmas bauble lantern and take part in the parade. Two special lantern making sessions will be held at Grimsby Top Town Market on Saturday 11 November with EleosCollective – one at 10am and one at 1230pm. The fun workshops are completely free, but we do ask for you to register for a place as demand is likely to be high.
Register for the 10am workshop: Eventbrite link
Register for the 12.30pm workshop: Eventbrite link
Back to the main event though!
On Saturday, 25 November, the main stage in St James Square will showcase local live music talents, featuring Jaz Beeson, Mak & Co, Lowercase Theatre, plus a bespoke Christmas puppet show by Kazbah Theatre and mashup of music tech by Future Freestylers, from DJing, drums & beatboxing. The stage will be hosted by Grimsby resident and stand up comedian Lauren Smith, with a special appearance later on by some cast members of this year’s panto at Grimsby Auditorium, Jack and the Beanstalk.
If you’re feeling peckish, head over to the delicious food stalls and artisan markets, which will keep you warm with grilled cheese toasties, traditional hog roast and several baked goods.
There will also be free drop-in craft sustainable workshops such as Family Christmas Nature Lab. These sessions will get you engaged in hands-on activities where you’ll be able to make and take home nature based Christmas tree decorations.
You’ll meet several walkabout characters across the town centre, from snow angels stilt walkers to circus LED hula hoops and poi performers, plus interactive cheeky elves and show stopping magical giant birds.
To top it all off, many independent makers will be part of the market area, selling eco-friendly cosmetics and gifts to art prints and artisan candles; all products are from local artists and makers.
In the evening, join us for a parade starting at Top Town Market from 4.30pm and ending in St James Square, just on time for our Christmas Tree Lighting at teatime, followed by live music with the Cleethorpes Brass Band.
In Freshney Place Shopping Centre, Santa and his elves are in town, so don’t forget a visit to the Elf Station and pose for family photos. Their car park opening times will be extended to 6.30pm to ensure you can enjoy the full day of activities. And Grimsby Top Town Market will be hosting an indoor Christmas Market in aid of St Andrew’s Hospice.
This year’s town centre Christmas event has been funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and sponsored by Orsted. The 2023 event is organised by Swans Events on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council.
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