Oban Winter Festival team launch 2016 extravaganza
THE Oban Winter Festival – ‘the biggest winter party in the West’ – has launched its 10- day programme of events, which will run from November 18-27 to entertain all ages.
The festival, now in its sixth year, is a celebration of Oban’s unique culture and community, with street parades, international and local performers, fire artists, crafts, pipers, parades and family fun, all within easy travel distance in the town centre.
The fun begins with shop window- dressing, themed this year on ‘a taste of winter’, and judging takes place on Thursday November 17, when the winner will receive a bottle of prosecco. Kicking off the week and the festival’s grand finale are the magnificent parades.
Santa and his reindeer parade will take place on Saturday November 19 at 5pm from the Corran Halls, leading up to the Christmas lights switch- on at 6pm in Station Square.
This year, instead of the Christmas tree on Stafford Street, organisers will unveil a 12ft stainless steel abstract sculpture inspired by McCaig’s Tower, to mark this Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design. Colour installations, designed in a competition posted to local primary schools, will add to the festival’s spectacular finale and pyrotechnic display.
The bill for Friday November 18 features a Ballet West Winter Wonderland, a fashion show at M&Co, and a dress up event called Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.
On Saturday, there is a Christmas science event at SAMS Ocean Explorer Centre at Dunstaffnage, a Victorian market in
the Rockfield Centre, and the Oban Winter Festival Scottish food and craft market in Oban Distillery.
Sunday sees Dunollie Makes Christmas. With traditional crafts, music, festive food and drink, and handmade gifts, it is guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit. There will also be a clootie dumpling competition in the Corran Halls, and a performance from Three Wee Crows Theatre Company, presenting their acclaimed First World War production, Home Fires – Broken Sons.
The week also features many more craft markets, as well as whisky and gin tasting, Gaelic learning, a fairground, children’s shows, cinema, jugglers, classical music concerts, camper van tours, late night shopping, jewellery making and even help with your Christmas gift wrapping.
On Friday November 25 there is an Atlantic Winter Dance Show and a Polski Fling in St Columba’s Cathedral Hall. Guided walks of Oban’s built heritage follow on Saturday November 26 as well as a Christmas fair, a Congregational church coffee morning, haggis hurling, a roller disco, a ‘Tartan Dash’, a winter wonderland at Ganavan Woodland, and, finally, the Oban Pipe Band and Oban Winter Festival St Andrews ceilidh dance.
The family parade, with theme to be revealed, follows on Sunday November 27 at 5pm, before the festival finale starts at 6.30pm.
The festival also includes free exhibitions, displaying Oban’s heritage at the War and Peace Museum on Corran Esplanade, and ‘The Fabric of Society’ at the Puffin Drive Centre.
There will also be an exhibition and sale of crafts by local artists on November 25-27 – The Room@Christmas – in the Rockfield Centre.
For more programme information, visit www.obanwinterfestival.com.
Should you choose to stay overnight in Oban to enjoy one or more of the winter festival events there are various options for your stay. You can find more details at www.visitscotland.com or www.oban.org.uk.