From free bus travel, to Santa, to a Living Snow Globe - here’s what to do for Christmas in Newbury this weekend
There is plenty of festive fun to be had in Newbury this weekend.
Three days of events kick off on Friday, when Newbury’s Christmas Market returns to Northbrook Street.
The weekend will see 60 small businesses setting up their stalls each day – from 12pm–8pm on Friday and from 10am–8pm on Saturday.
They will be selling unique gifts, hot food and warming mulled wine and the stall holders will be different on both days.
There will also be music from a number of school choirs – singing with the town’s famous resident, Paddington Bear – and children’s craft activities to do.
On Friday the schools performing will be John Rankin (10am), Lambourn (11am), Sing for Fun choir (12pm), Burghclere (1pm) and Curridge (2pm).
On Saturday Hermitage Primary School will perform at 11am, with Highwood Copse at 2pm and a group of Beaver Scouts at 3pm.
The singing will all take place by the new Paddington bench, outside Camp Hopson in Northbrook Street.
Some of the small businesses along Northbrook Street will also stay open for late-night shopping.
And the fun continues in Parkway on Saturday too, when a Living Snow Globe comes to town.
There will be plenty of entertainment there, to add some sparkly cheer to your Christmas shopping trip.
At 10am there will be Christmas songs from the children of the Equinox Learning Trust choir, followed by the first of three appearances, at 11.30am, by the Snow Queen in the Living Snow Globe.
She will be joined by Lorraine Deer – a quirky stilt walking reindeer - and her jolly elf.
The glamorous Glitter Belles will also be there, along with vintage singers The Candy Girls.
And if you’re around at 3.30pm you may see some snow falling in Parkway too.
Also making an appearance in town on Saturday will be Santa himself, helped by his elves from Newbury Lions Club.
He will be manning the Kennet Centre grotto again, from 12pm-4pm.
Here children will get to meet Santa, have their photo taken with him and get a small gift, courtesy of Newbury BID.
The Lions do not charge for this but ask that anyone who is able to, makes a small donation, which will go straight to its welfare fund.
There will also be a lucky dip – costing 50p – to boost the coffers too.
And finishing off the fantastic festive weekend in spectacularly sparkly style, is the return of the Corn Exchange’s Festival of Light on Sunday.
The much-loved annual procession will travel along Northbrook Street before arriving in Market Place, where there will be live music.
The procession will start at 4.30pm.
To ensure as many people as possible can enjoy all the events in town, West Berkshire Council is again offering free bus travel in the district on Saturday.
You can travel all day, any time, completely free within West Berkshire and if you start your journey in West Berkshire, your return journey is also free.
Travel will also be free next Saturday, December 21.
