MALVERN Town Council is urging locals not to miss out on all of the festive fun at Great Malvern Christmas Festival.
Great Malvern will be bustling with live music, entertainment, festive food, and crafts with activities organised by Malvern Town Council, in partnership with Malvern Hills District Council and Boffy Events and Markets.
It all starts at 10.00am with Father Christmas arriving at Malvern Library. Visitors can meet him and his elves, with the last entrance to his grotto at 4pm.
There are also free activities in the library including arts and crafts, storytelling, dance workshops, community choirs, and the chance to meet the very friendly and popular polar bear.
Malvern Music Centre Concert Band and String Orchestra will be performing from 11:10-11:50am in Great Malvern Priory.
And Worcestershire Youth Concert Band will then be performing from 2:15-2:55pm. Both of the concert performances are free of charge.
Elsewhere in the town there will be an arts and food market in the grounds of Malvern Priory, street entertainers and musicians will be performing and the BBC Hereford & Worcester’s stage on Belle Vue Island has a programme packed full of bands, choirs and other entertainment from 12.30pm.
The day will end with the Christmas lights being illuminated at 6pm. The annual light switch on parade will gather at the bottom of Church Street at 5:40pm.
The Christmas Lights will be switched on by Katie McGlynn and Mark James, stars of this year’s pantomime, Cinderella.
The Mayor’s chosen charity this year is St Richard’s Hospice and all monies collected along with proceeds from the grotto will be added to the Mayor’s Charity appeal.
St Richard’s Hospice will also be selling all things ‘Christmassy’ on their stall outside the Post Office.
The parade, which includes celebrities from the pantomime at Malvern Theatres, BaixaBeat Samba Band, Dance in Motion, Stilt walkers as well local school children with Narnia themed lanterns, will make its way up to Belle Vue Island for 6pm.
Father Christmas will also be stopping by on his way back to the North Pole.
The Christmas tree was erected on Belle Vue Island this week ready for the switch on.
A spokesperson for Malvern Town Council said: “Thanks to Leigh Sinton Farm and Nurseries for kindly donating this tree which was put in place by the Town Council’s operations team and dressed by the council’s lighting contractor A L B Services.
“Make sure that you head to Great Malvern on Saturday, join us for the day or just an hour or two, and enjoy the free activities.”
