Friday 6th December 2024
The Corn Exchange is closed for regeneration but the Yuletide committee are committed to still run the festival, it will just have a different layout.
If you feel you could help in anyway or you would like to sponsor the event please do get in touch.
CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHT SWITCH ON & COMMUNITY CAROL SINGING – WITH LANTERNS!
This year we are inviting everyone to bring a lantern to our community carol singing and Christmas Tree light switch on – 6pm outside the Parish Church.
Due to the restoration work happening in the Corn Exchange this has limited our space in the market place. So there won’t be a lantern parade but we are encouraging schools and the local community to gather with their own homemade lanterns.
Please do not use candles – battery lights only
FATHER CHRISTMAS
Thank you to The Wax Removal & Hearing Care Centre for lending us their premises for our Father Christmas Grotto. This is in-between Scrivens and Stuart Pearce Butchers.
If anyone would like to volunteer to come and help create/decorate a magical grotto please email us
ENTERTAINMENT
6.00pm Mayor’s welcome & Christmas tree light switch on followed by Carol singing The Stour Valley Band will play and everyone can join in with carol singing – words are in the middle of this programme.
From 6.30pm Various local community groups provide entertainment in front of the church
8.30pm West Gallery Carollers perform in the Parish Church
10.00pm Town centre roads re-open
More details to follow (there won’t be a laser display this year)
SPONSORS
We run the Festival using the surplus from previous year’s event and sponsorship from local businesses – A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF THEM!
Hall & Woodhouse our main sponsor
Lesley Shand Funeral Service sponsoring the printing of the programmes
Chaffers sponsoring the printing of the banners
HK Law sponsoring the entertainment
Kens Kabs sponsor
If your business can also sponsor the 2025 event please get in touch
STALLS
If you would like to express interest in having a stall at this event please go to our Stall Holders Page
LOCAL BUSINESSES
If any businesses would like to use pitches outside their premises for selling food and drink please let us know – we would prefer to offer locally made produce rather than have to get external stalls. If you are going to be open for the event it would be good to know so that we can make sure we don’t pitch stalls in front of your business.
We have a programme booklet produced and distributed on the evening that contains the programme of events, important information and the words for carol singing. There is an opportunity to advertise your business for the future events, please get in touch if you are interested.
We always need extra help, if you would like to volunteer please email us
Since 2010 our event has provided festive fun for everyone as well as encouraging local shopping with late-night opening. Highlights have always been the children’s lantern parade and community carol singing in the Market Place, market stalls in the streets, Santa’s grotto in the Corn Exchange, live entertainment and fireworks or light displays.
The committee members are all volunteers and since 2021 have really struggled to recruit more help and now only have a few core members. We really want the festival to continue to grow and get better (possibly better than it ever used to be!) but we can’t improve without more help.
We meet once a month on a Thursday evening in the Parish Centre (opposite the Post Office) usually 7.30pm. No previous experience is necessary.
Please email our Chair: chairman@blandford-yuletide-festival.org.uk
Like us on Facebook to see updates