Chorley lights up for Christmas with Kevin Simm switch-on
The town's annual Christmas lights switch-on is on Saturday, November 22, with Chorley born BRIT Award-winning singer Kevin Simm adding a bit of sparkle to the festive season
Chorley has unveiled its programme of events to get the town off to a festive start during the countdown to Christmas.
The town’s annual Christmas lights switch-on is on Saturday, November 22, with Chorley born BRIT Award-winning singer, Kevin Simm adding “just a little” bit of sparkle .
Best known as a former member of chart-topping group Liberty X, Kevin Simm went on to win The Voice UK in 2016 and is now the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet.
And he will be singing a couple of his hits before pressing the button at 5pm when he lights up Chorley for Christmas.
This will follow an afternoon of live performances from a variety of artists on the Market Street stage (from 1pm) plus an appearance by rugby league star Josh Charnley, all hosted by BBC Radio Lancashire’s Graham Liver.
Visitors can browse the Totally Locally Chorley Christmas Market from 10am to 6pm in the town centre filled with stalls offering seasonal treats, gifts, food and drink and more, plus children’s attractions to enjoy.
Experience the magic of Christmas at Astley
Beautifully decorated by the Friends of Astley Hall and inspired by the enchanting story of The Nutcracker, the historic Astley Hall will be in all its festive splendour from Saturday, November 21 to Sunday December 20. See Astley Hall opening hours at astleypark.co.uk/hall
Plus, there’ll be opportunities to meet Father Christmas at the Hall (weekends only – last few tickets remaining) and for children to attend an Astley Elf Party with lots of festive singing and dancing (Saturday 5 December). Both these activities require pre-booking. See further information at astleypark.co.uk/christmas
Christmas Cracker Weekend
A weekend of festive fun for families and foodies alike will take place Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December with a Christmas cracker of a weekend comprising of a variety of special events.
There’ll be North Pole family fun taking over the town centre on the afternoon of Saturday 5 December. Visitors can expect mischievous elves on candy cane skis or bi-planes, spreading festive cheer while they do their Christmas shopping. Plus, a giant snow globe (a perfect photo opportunity), life size animatronic polar bear and artisan market stalls (in addition to the usual market on a Saturday) to enjoy.
Meanwhile, on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, there’ll be ‘A Taste of Christmas’ organised by Chorley Hospitality Hub- a two-day celebration of Chorley's independent hospitality businesses. Taking place across the town centre, the weekend will bring together festive food and drink, demonstrations, tastings, shopping and family activities, with plenty of opportunities to discover and support local businesses.
The Christmas Cracker weekend will also feature a family pantomime at Chorley Town Hall with three performances of the timeless tale, A Christmas Carol, on Sunday 6 December - tickets on sale now at checkoutchorley.com/panto
Winter Wonderland
Sponsored by Park Hall Hotel and Spa and Market Walk, Chorley’s popular Winter Wonderland will bring even more festive excitement to the town centre from Saturday 12 December to Sunday 3 January, open daily except Christmas Day. At its heart will be a real ice rink, children’s attractions, alongside festive tipis and delicious food and drink.
New for this year at Winter Wonderland, there’ll be some live entertainment including live DJ nights at the ice rink (at no additional cost) and an opportunity for children to meet Frozen favourites, Anna and Elsa.
Get all the information, including ice rink pricing and opening hours, at checkoutchorley.com/winterwonderland
Coun Peter Wilson, Deputy Leader of Chorley Council said: “There's lots to look forward to in Chorley this Christmas with a great programme of events and activities for all the family to enjoy.
“Festive favourites such as Winter Wonderland and the Christmas Lights Switch On will be back, but there's also new additions for this year, such as the Christmas Cracker weekend.
“Delivery of these events help to generate more visitors to Chorley and showcase what we have to offer, and we're delighted to be supporting some local independent business groups with their own festive events that share this aim.”
For details of all these festive events and activities, please keep an eye on checkoutchorley.com/christmas