The festivities will begin in Mansfield as plans for a new Christmas festival have been announced.
Mansfield residents are invited to kick off the festive season at the West Gate ChristmasFest on Sunday 22 November, with a full day of festive entertainment, family activities, traditional Christmas music, arts and crafts and Christmas attractions in the heart of Mansfield town centre.
You can find more information on what to expect this Christmas in Mansfield here.
Taking place from 10am until 5pm, the all day event will transform West Gate into a festive destination packed with Christmas events, offering entertainment throughout the day, live performances across two stages, music, fairground rides, arts and crafts, a snow globe and much more.
The festival is being organised by Mansfield District Council in partnership with Four Seasons Shopping Centre, Mansfield BID, and is also being supported and sponsored by Mansfield's Bill Taylor and local businesses bringing together a range of festive activities. There will also be a Christmas light display and 20 foot Christmas tree outside the buttercross and several pop-up events will be taking place in the Four Seasons Shopping Centre, including Santa’s Grotto.
This is a new event and will be held on West Gate due to the ongoing regeneration works taking place in Mansfield Market Place. While the town centre improvement works continue, organisers are ensuring that residents can still enjoy a memorable Christmas celebration in a prominent town centre location for free.
A centrepiece of the festivities will be a real Christmas tree, helping to create a traditional festive atmosphere and providing the perfect backdrop for seasonal photographs and celebrations. Due to the size of the area and the limited space, there will not be a switch on but there will be a series of opportunities throughout the day for people to see the tree and take photos.
Councillor Craig Whitby, Deputy Mayor and Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance, said:
"Christmas is always a special time in Mansfield and we are delighted to be bringing a brand-new Christmas Festival to Mansfield and to Westgate this year. Working alongside Four Seasons and Mansfield BID, we are creating a fantastic day of festive entertainment for residents and visitors of all ages. Although the event will be taking place in a different location while work continues in the Market Place, and it won’t be a switch on like we have had in previous years, we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Westgate to enjoy the start of the festive season together. This is a really great chance for people to come to a free event and really get into the spirit of Christmas."
Jay Rowlinson, Chief Executive of Mansfield BID said:
“We are delighted to be a part of this new event, we’ve hosted several festivals ourselves this year, as part of our work to promote the town centre and it’s great that, after a couple of years, we have a great Christmas event for people to come and enjoy. This will be a really good boost for the local traders and businesses as we gear up for Christmas.”
Further details about the entertainment programme and attractions will be announced in the coming weeks.
Residents are encouraged to save the date and join in the festive fun on Sunday 22 November from 10am to 5pm.