PLEASE NOTE Worcester City Council has reluctantly decided to cancel the Christmas Light Switch-on entertainment event on Saturday 23 November due to health and safety concerns relating to the adverse weather conditions. The lights will be now switched on at a suitable point during the weekend, when it is safe to do so.
The first Christmas event in Worcester takes place on Saturday (23 November), when the festive lights will be switched on.
The evening of entertainment and fun for all the family will run in Cathedral Square from 4pm to 6.30pm.
The lights will be turned on at 6pm by the Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Mel Allcott, along with Father Christmas and the cast of Aladdin from Swan Theatre.
They will be starting a festive display across the city centre, which will include the illuminated Christmas trees at the Guildhall – offering the perfect location for seasonal snaps.
This year there will be additional space provided for crowds at the switch-on, with College Street on Deansway closed for traffic between 5.30pm and 6.45pm.
The bus stop in Cathedral Square will be suspended during this time. Christmas lights on St Johns will also be switched on following Saturday evening’s event.
Worcester’s Victorian Christmas Fayre will arrive in the city the following week, taking place between Thursday 28 November and Sunday 1 December.
The Fayre is expected to attract over 150,000 visitors to Worcester across the four days.
Big Parking will be providing stewards for both events and they will be visible in yellow jackets to provide any help required.
There will also be additional street furniture installed this week as an added safety measure.
The cube-like structures will remain in place during both Christmas events at Broad Street (lower and upper), High Street (near Greggs), Cathedral Square, Cornmarket (near Actons) and The Shambles (near St Swithuns Church).
The Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Mel Allcott, said: “Christmas is a particularly magical time of the year in Worcester and I can’t wait to join Santa and the stars of Aladdin to switch on the lights.
“Dark nights will be lit up as the city glistens with festive lights and the spirit of Christmas fills the air.
“Later this month, the Victorian Fayre will bring visitors in from far and wide, providing the perfect opportunity to showcase Worcester. I’m excited to see our Victorian-themed city with all the entertainment, the hospitality, the wares and my personal favourite, the carousel!”
During the Victorian Fayre there will be parking reserved for blue badge holders on the ground floor of St Martin’s Gate car park.
Stewards will monitor the car park to ensure that drivers comply with the ground floor restrictions.
For the quickest route into the city during the Fayre, event sponsors First Bus will be running the park and ride service (number 901) from Sixways Stadium to Worcester Crowngate Bus Station on Friday (from 4.35pm), and all day on Saturday and Sunday.
The last park and ride service returning to Sixways will be at 10.15pm on Friday and Saturday, and 7.10pm on Sunday.
This is a change from past years, when the service ran from County Hall.
A full list of bus services is available at www.firstbus.co.uk/victorianfayre
