Olympic heroes join the big switch on
Royal Borough: Stalls, treats and entertainment add to the fun
Decorated Olympians and Paralympians from Maidenhead will be turning on the town’s Christmas lights this year, the Royal Borough has announced.
Team GB athletes Moe Sbihi, Jack Beaumont and Jeanette Chippington will flick the switch on Maidenhead’s festive illuminations on Saturday, November 27 at the Town Hall in St Ives Road.
They will be joined by the winner of Norden Farm’s ‘Kipper’s Snowy Day’ competition.
Sbihi was part of Team GB’s men’s eight rowing team at the Tokyo Olympics which won bronze in the summer, while fellow Maidonian Beaumont claimed silver in the men’s quadruple sculls.
Chippington, from Maidenhead, won Paralympics GB’s 100th medal in Tokyo as she took bronze in the canoeing.
The annual switch-on of Maidenhead’s Christmas lights attracts visitors into the town centre with a festive trading market popping up in the High Street from 9.30am-7pm.
The market features a range of local craft makers, gifts, hot food, mulled wine and treats, alongside the event’s normal produce market which will offer food and drink.
From lunchtime, the traditional Traylen’s funfair will be open in St Ives Road, with the switch-on event beginning with live music and entertainment from 4.40pm.
The countdown and switch-on is scheduled to take place at 6pm.
Ahead of the lights going on, there will be a performance from Dance Inspired, followed by The New Maidenhead Choir and local band The Bottle Kids.
And the event will be concluded with a ‘spectacular’ firework display from the roof of the Town Hall courtesy of Shellscape Pyrotechnics.
This is the first time that the switch-on event has taken place since
2019 after it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.
Robyn Bunyan, Maidenhead town manager, said: “We can’t wait to celebrate with the community in our countdown to the festive season.
“There are lots of wonderful things happening in Maidenhead and the surrounding areas in the run up to Christmas.
“We hope to see lots of families here enjoying the Christmas light switch-on event and supporting the town.”
A road closure will be in place in Queen Street from its junction with Broadway, High Street, St Ives Road and the Colonnade from 7am until 9pm on the day, and on-street parking will be suspended from midnight on Friday, November 26.
There will also be free parking in Maidenhead’s council-owned car parks each weekend from the switch-on event through to the Christmas weekend, as well as Bank Holiday’s including Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
For more information visit www.maidenhead. gov.uk