The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
A light touch: Fair City to focus on all things festive
The finishing touches are being put in place for a fantastic weekend of festive celebrations to mark the beginning of Perth’s Winter festival.
There is nothing more magical than this beautiful city once the Christmas lights have been switched on and with a huge range of festive events and markets to choose from in the run up to December 25, you will be spoilt for choice this Christmas!
Things start to get Christmassy with tomorrow’s Christmas lights switch-on. With the celebrations kicking off from noon, Perth will be the place to be for the city’s biggest-ever Christmas party. Don’t miss this star-studded event, which will include music, entertainment, reindeer and a Christmas parade led by Santa as Perth prepares to count down to Christmas 2017.
The main event will be the Christmas lights switch-on at 6.15pm when singer and television star Alesha Dixon leads the countdown to illuminate the city.
Throughout the day, there will be the chance to get involved in great events such as the Perth Chocolate and Gin Street Festival, which runs until Sunday. Indulge your passion for the cocoa bean with chocolate in every incarnation including bars, buttons, sauces, spreads and hot chocolate – and don’t forget to browse the stalls showcasing gins from around the UK. There is an amazing range of flavours to choose from – taste a few or buy some chocolate or gin Christmas gifts, they are sure to go down a treat!
Food fanatics also shouldn’t miss the other Perthshire foodie events taking place this weekend, including Cake Fest Perth and Kinross – an edible cake map of Perth and Kinross being created under the watchful eye of head baker Simon Preston. Buildings and landmarks will be added to this incredible creation throughout Sunday.
There is nothing like a warming bowl of soup to hit the spot during the winter festivities and the second annual Zuppa Soup Competition finale will take place on Sunday. This is your chance to vote for your favourite soup recipe from across Perth and Kinross and find out who is crowned the champion soup maker.
This might just be the weekend to start the Christmas shopping and there is nothing more satisfying than sourcing a beautiful, hand-made gift for a loved one. Visit The Handmade Show at Perth Concert Hall on Sunday (10.30am to 4pm) for some fantastic and unique creations by makers and designers from all over Scotland.
Next weekend the emphasis stays focused on great design, as the Perthshire Creates Christmas Design Market showcases some original, contemporary craft and design gifts from the Perth and Kinross area. Check out their creations on Saturday November 25 at the Civic Hall on Perth’s High Street.
On Sunday November 26, the focus shifts to Perth’s St Andrews Day celebrations, with the chance to celebrate Scotland’s national day in the Fair City. The Scotland Street Marketplace will offer the opportunity to sample some of the finest food and drink from Scotland’s natural larder. There will also be performances from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, The Mad Ferret Band and The Rod Stewart Songbook to bring a Scottish feel to the entertainment.
Moving into December’s highlights, don’t miss the chance to shop for foodie treats and more at the Perth Farmer’s Market on Saturday December 2 and 16 and the Fair City Markets on Saturday December 9.
The weekend of December 2 will also see the magical Perth Christmas Lantern Parade and Nativity Scene, with a lantern-lit procession moving through Perth City Centre and culminating in the unveiling of the Perth Christmas Nativity scene outside St John’s Kirk. There will also be the chance to create a lantern at daytime workshops.
For all you runners out there, don’t miss the Perth Santa Run – from noon on December 9 the streets of Perth will be filled with Santa Clauses of all sizes for the fantastically popular Santa Run event. It’s a great festive spectacle for all the Santas taking part and for the spectators too!
Visit www.perthcity.co.uk/city-perthwinter-festival-2017 for more information on these events and all the other festive happenings in and around Perth City.