Town’s festive lights to be switch on this Friday
Festive lights to be switch on at annual town event
THOUSANDS of people are expected to visit Hinckley town centre later this week to see the town’s Christmas lights switched on.
This year’s event on Friday (22 November) will get underway at 4pm. The lights will be switched on at 6.30pm by the family of Isla Tansey and the Mayor.
The switch-on will be followed at 7pm by a fantastic firework display over St Mary’s Church, sponsored by the borough council and the Showman’s Guild.
The festivities will get underway from 4pm with a full programme of entertainment taking place on-stage in the Market Place. Stage production and sound will be provided by Fosse 107 and the programme will include performances from St Mary’s School, Olivia Bevington, Hinckley Choral Union, Steve Faulkner, The Drama Academy and Hastings school. Hinckley‘s Concordia Theatre pantomime cast will also take centre stage to give us a preview of what this year’s pantomime has in store.
The switch-on will also involve representatives from the Hinckley Ex-Servicemen’s Association and the Royal British Legion at 6pm.
In addition to the entertainment in the Market Place, a number of town centre shops will be open and a special festive market will be held to provide the crowds with an opportunity to do some timely Christmas shopping.
Meanwhile, children will get a chance to meet Santa in his grotto, which will be located at the top of Castle Street. Free Christmas crafts workshop for children will also be taking place at the United Reformed Church as part of the event. Families are invited to drop in between 5.30pm and 7.30pm to make a range of Christmas crafts to take home.
The lights switch-on will also coincide with the staging of the traditional Tin Hat Fair in Regent Street. The fair will be open from 4pm until 10.30pm on Friday and from 11am to 9pm on Saturday.
All relevant road closure information will be detailed on the Borough Council website.
A spokesperson for the borough council said: “The Christmas lights switch on is one of the most popular events of the year and we look forward to another great night. In response to feedback, we’ve moved the magnificent firework display to 7pm this year to give people plenty of time to move around and get a great view of the fireworks. I hope as many people as possible come along and have a happy and safe time during what promises to be an unforgettable evening.”
“For those wanting to bring elderly and less mobile residents to view the lights I would recommend our drive through on Wednesday 4 December. Seeing the lights without all of the crowds is great, but the night is not complete without a warm drink, mince pie and music at the United Reformed Church. This is a great event and I hope as many people as possible will come along to enjoy it.”
There will be limited access to Argents Mead from 6.30pm-7.30pm to accommodate the fireworks. Hinckley Leisure Centre will be open as usual, with access available from St Mary’s Road/Leisure Centre car park side only between 6.30pm-7.30pm.
Hinckley Christmas lights tour
The annual Hinckley’s Christmas lights tour for elderly and disabled people will be held on Wednesday 4 December.
Castle Street will be open to traffic from 6pm to 7pm to allow the general public to drive down with their elderly or disabled family and friends, allowing them to view the lights.
There will be festive music and mince pies in the United Reformed Church and cars will be able to park on Regent Street.
For more information contact Cat Stilling, Events Co-ordinator, on Tel. 01455 255893.