Northampton’s Christmas lights will be switched on, on Thursday 19 November, with fun from 5.30pm in the Market Square. Heart FM will start the countdown and EastEnders star John Partridge, along with his pantomime pals from the Royal and Derngate and the Deco, will flick the seasonal switch to light up the streets of Northampton at 6pm.
The cast of the Royal and Derngate’s Christmas Show, The Snow Queen, will also be on stage singing a song or two and getting the crowd into the Christmas spirit.
The Guildhall will be illuminated with festive lights and there will be cross-street lighting twinkling along Bridge Street, Gold Street, the Drapery, St Giles Street and Derngate. There will be five 40ft Christmas trees standing tall in Abington Square, St Giles Square, Market Square, North Gate bus station and outside All Saints.
The Borough Council will also be installing 200 small trees on business premises across the town centre. And a traditional German market of 12 stalls will provide a focal point to the celebrations, as traders selling all sorts of German Christmas products line the pedestrianised area of Abington Street, trading from 9.30am-7pm daily, between November 19 and December 20. And there will be free parking from 3pm on Thursday 19 November, and every Thursday until Christmas, in all Borough Council car parks. The ever-popular Frost Fair will also be taking over the Market Square again on Sunday 6 December, plus additional Market days on December 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st.
Cllr Brandon Eldred, Cabinet Member for Customers and Communities at Northampton Borough Council, said: “Christmas is the peak trading time for businesses and we have once again worked hard to make Northampton a great place to visit and spend time. We have added Thursday from 3pm to our already-extensive free parking offer, and that will be an added incentive to people coming to Northampton to shop, eat, and visit the German market or the theatres.”