Countdown to the 2024 Wilmslow Christmas lights switch on

Wilmslow's Christmas lights switch-on event takes place this coming Saturday, 16th November, commencing at 10am with the opening of the Artisan Market on Alderley Road.

Santa's reindeer can be visited at the entrance to Wilmslow High School (Holly Road side) from 3pm until 4pm.

At 4pm, the reindeer will pull Santa in his sleigh from the High School to Wilmslow Leisure Centre. The 10-minute parade will travel down Broadway, turning right towards the Leisure Centre and stopping at the cricket pitch in front of the Leisure Centre.

Families are encouraged to line the pavements of Broadway to get the best view of Santa and his reindeer parade.

The lights switch-on stage will be near Bank Square, where WFA's Erik Garner will host music and entertainment from 3pm, with the first stage act starting at 3.30pm.

The stage line-up includes Wilmslow High School's Jazz band, TEMPO, Wilmslow High School's Choir and Lacey Green Primary Academy.

Following the big countdown with Santa, Amy Hughes - the first woman to run 53 Marathons in 53 days in 2014 - will switch Wilmslow's Christmas lights on at around 5pm.

This year, to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of running 53 Marathons, Amy took on the challenge again. This time raising money for mental health charity Bigmoose, she covered a total distance of 2,809 km (1,745 miles) in less than two months.

Throughout the day on Saturday, a selection of town centre businesses will be running pop-up stalls outside of their premises, with refreshments.

This year, the stage's sound and lights have been further enhanced in response to feedback from last year's event and extra road closures will be in place around Bank Square, to allow better stage positioning and more space for residents to relax and enjoy the event.

Wilmslow Town Council have purchased two new 3D light displays for 2024: a giant stand-in bauble for Bank Square and a walk-through Christmas arch for Alderley Road, which will both be illuminated on Saturday evening.

Town Mayor, Councillor Tim Higgins, said, "We can't wait for Wilmslow's 2024 Christmas Lights switch-on. It is one of Wilmslow Town Council's biggest and most popular community events and this year we have put lots of work into improving the stage and sound equipment to make the big day bigger and better.

"With the day featuring markets, stage entertainment at Bank Square, refreshments from local businesses plus Santa and his reindeer parade, we hope there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

"We are proud to fund and organise the day, with the help of our regular compare, Erik Garner, the Wilmslow's Way Better team and local schools and groups. We are delighted that Amy has agreed to switch the lights on for us this year.

"On behalf of the Town Council and all its Councillors, we hope the Wilmslow community enjoy this festive day."

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Comments

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Deborah Slade
Wednesday 13th November 2024 at 3:14 pm
It sounds great- thank you to the council and Lisa for making such an effort. We’re looking forward to it!

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