This year, Radstock Town Council’s traditional Christmas Lights Switch On will be the finale to a spectacular festive day planned by the Radstock Town Team, who are bringing together local businesses, community groups and organisations to create a festive day on Saturday, 5th December.
St Nicholas’ School Choir will kick off the day with a performance of carols outside the Methodist Church at 11 a.m. and activities will run through until the Christmas Lights Switch On and lantern parade at 4 p.m. The day features the Friends of Radstock Museum’s Christmas Fayre (from 10 a.m.), Churches Together’s Christmas Tree Festival, a lantern parade led by DNA Arts, giant bouncy snowman, Santa’s grotto, pom-pom making at the Victoria Hall, an animal display at the Radstock Youth Hub, Disney princesses, street performers, music, community stalls, DNA Art’s Snow Storm Stories in the library, shop window competition and of course, those all important Christmas shopping opportunities.
The community in Radstock has come together, after all the difficulties of 2015, to create a magical mixture of Christmas activities. Everybody is asked to help decorate the town, by bringing woolly pom-poms to ‘yarn bomb’ the Christmas tree. Radstock Knitters will be starting the (woolly) ball rolling by creating pom poms and local schools will also be contributing. You can make a ‘yarn bomb’ at the Victoria Hall on the day and also this Saturday, 28th November, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The lantern parade will start at 4 p.m. from the Victoria Hall. People are invited to gather from 3.40 p.m. and to bring their own lights and lanterns. Glow sticks will be available from the Big Local stand. Town centre car parks will be open as normal, but people are asked to think about walking into town, as the car parks will be busy.
The event has been led by the new Radstock Town Team, Radstock Town Council and the Big Local working together. Many other community groups have played a vital role, including Victoria Hall, Trinity Methodist Church, DNA Arts, Radstock Museum, Churches Together, In Bloom, local schools, Bath College, Radstock Youth Hub, Radstock Knitters and Radstock’s town centre businesses.
We are grateful to the Radstock Co-op for providing first aid cover during the early part of the day. We are also grateful to B&NES Cllr Horstmann for contributing funding to enable the day to happen.
A Community Carol service will take place on Sunday, 6th December at 6 p.m., in Trinity Methodist Church and will coincide with the culmination of the Christmas Tree festival, taking place from 4th – 6th December. This will be a great way to get together in the run-up to Christmas and we hope the event will bring the community together to celebrate Christmas after a challenging year for the town.
Jo Milling