Christmas festival preparations
Released: 17 October 2007
Wolverhampton is getting ready to enjoy the festive season as the city gears up for its third popular Christmas Festival.
Shoppers will already have noticed the first of the city centre’s Christmas light fittings and fixtures being erected on lampposts in Queen Square and adjacent streets in anticipation of the first activity on the festival calendar - the switching on of the Christmas lights in the city centre on Wednesday 14 November, at Market Square.
The Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Trudy Bowen, will be joined by comedy duo, the Krankies and other stars from this year’s Grand Theatre panto, Dick Whittington, for the official switch on ceremony at 6.30pm.
The switch on celebration show starts at 5pm with entertainment from the Beacon Radio road show with presenters Fresh and Jo.
The city centre event will be followed by the Tettenhall lights switch-on at the end of the week on Friday 16 November. The Wolf radio road show will start at 5pm and the lights will be switched on at 6.30pm by Rachel Heyhoe Flint.
On the Saturday 17 November, Bilston town centre’s switch-on takes place between 4pm to 5pm at Market Way Square, Church Street, when there will be a performance by an Elvis tribute act.
Wednesfield town centre’s switch on event also takes place on that same Saturday (17 November) in the grounds of St. Thomas Church between 4pm and 5pm.
At the heart of the festival will be a continental Christmas market in the newly refurbished Dudley Street and Queen Square area of the city centre from Wednesday 12 December, to Friday 21 December. featuring traders from France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Belgium among others.
The market will open from 10am until 9pm Monday to Saturday, giving visitors the opportunity to visit after work to sample the sumptuous variety of hot and cold food and drink, including German glühwein (mulled wine) together with beer and sausages from the schwenkengrill , which is a charcoal swivelling grill.
On Sunday the market will be open between 10.30am to 4.30pm.
As well as food and drink there will be toys, sweets and a wide variety of gifts for the whole family. Other festive goods will include German sausages, Dutch cheeses, cakes and waffles, pastries, leather goods, cashmere and knitwear, French perfumes, Italian silks and much more.
Appealing to the whole family, the Christmas Festival will feature music and street entertainment and children can pay a visit to Santa in his grotto in Queen Square.
Chair of the Festival steering group Councillor Andrew Johnson, said “This year’s Christmas Festival is shaping up to be a fantastic event for all the family to enjoy.
“The festival has a broad appeal, providing a unique mix of the traditional and exotic which I am certain will be very popular with Wolverhampton residents and will attract many visitors from across the region”, he added.
To celebrate the launch of the market on Wednesday, 12 December, a jazz band will lead a reindeer parade along Dudley Street at 5.30pm.
Santa and his helpers will be part of the parade before taking up residence in the Queen Square grotto.
The grotto will be open between 10am and 7pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sunday.
During the festival there will be late night shopping in the city centre with shops and stores open until 9pm every Wednesday from 14 November until 5 December.
From Monday 10 December to Friday 21 December, shops will open until 9pm every night except for Saturdays when they will open until 7pm and on Sundays between 10.30am and 4.30 pm.
A host of other activities are taking place at organisations across the city such as Christmas workshops at Bilston craft gallery, theatre productions at Arena Theatre, Christmas party nights at Wolverhampton racecourse, live music at the Wulfrun Hall and carol services at Moseley Old Hall.
For a copy of the Wolverhampton What’s on Where magazine which has details of the Christmas Festival or for further information visit the Wolverhampton City website or contact 01902 551139.
Issued by the press office.