Victorian Christmas Fayre to be sponsored by First Bus
Preparations are well underway for the 2023 Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre – and this year why not leave the family car at home – and all take the bus?
This year's Fayre is being sponsored by First Bus which is offering a special £10 ticket which will allow five people to have unlimited travel all day on the Worcester network, including travel on the Park & Ride.
The Victorian Christmas Fayre draws more than 150,000 people to Worcester across the four days, contributing an estimated £7 million to the local economy each year. This year's event will run between Thursday 30 November until Sunday 3 December with nearly 200 stalls filling the city's streets.
Visitors can enjoy a host of festive traditions such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine and enjoy stepping back in time to how Christmas might have looked 150 years ago.
Seasonal stalls offering locally-sourced food, drink, crafts and gifts will be in place in High Street, Cathedral Square, Pump Street, New Street, Friar Street, Cornmarket and The Shambles.
There will also be a fantastic programme of entertainment, including Victorian characters, lofty entertainers on stilts, brilliant musicians and buskers on street corners. And no visit to the Fayre would be complete without a ride on the traditional vintage carousel in the Cornmarket!
First Bus will be operating its Park & Ride service (number 910) providing a cheap and convenient way to visit the Fayre. The Park & Ride goes from County Hall to Worcester Crowngate Bus Station, on Friday from 5pm until 10pm; on Saturday from 8:35am until 6pm and on Sunday from 9.45am to 3.30pm.
Fares will be £2 single or £4 return and the company is also offering a £10 group ticket – available for up to five people, which offers unlimited travel all day within the Worcester network. The group ticket is only available on the First Bus app.
To mark its sponsorship of the event First Bus will also be running a competition offering prizes of ten Worcester Network month tickets and will be having their own stall at the Fayre on the Saturday.
Mayor of Worcester, Cllr Louis Stephen said: "I am delighted that First Bus are sponsoring this year's Victorian Fayre – it is one of the highlights of Worcester's calendar and I'm very much looking forward to it. Whatever your age it provides traditional festive fun – and a great chance to pick up locally-made Christmas gifts."
Sarah Wallbridge, Senior Marketing Manager with First Bus, said: "The Victorian Christmas Fayre is definitely one of the highlights in Worcester's annual calendar, and we are absolutely delighted to be sponsoring it, and in turn continuing to make it one of the city's most successful and hotly anticipated events.
"The warm summer weather may have crept into October, but we're hoping there will soon be a chill in the air so we can truly get into the festive spirit. If you're coming to the fayre with friends and family, don't forget to take advantage of our £10 group ticket, which allows up to five people unlimited travel all day, anywhere on the Worcestershire network, so whether you're looking to drive to the Park & Ride at County Hall or catch the bus from home, sit back and let us drive you into the city centre. And even if you're coming to the fayre on your own, grabbing the bus is still the most convenient, environmentally-friendly and cheapest way to travel with single fares at only £2 per adult.
"We're looking forward to transporting lots of you to this year's fayre and we will be having our own stall in the Corn Market on Saturday 2 December, so please come and visit the team for your chance to win some great prizes and pick up information on the local bus network too!"
Find out more and enter the competition for your chance to win one of 10 month tickets here