TWO DAYS of festive events and activities get under way in Bromsgrove town centre today (Friday) starting with the return of the Christmas market for its fifth year.
That will run today from 9am to 4pm and tomorrow between 10am and 6.30pm.
Today there will be free parking all day.
The lights switch-on and pre-illumination entertainment will run from 3.30pm to 5.30pm and the Bromsgrove’s Indie Club Street Party runs from 2pm to 9am tomorrow.
Jo Slade from the Friends of St John’s Church, Huw Moseley from Bromsgrove District Council and Jack Bayley from Bromsgrove Indie Club joined us on this week’s Standard Podcast. Listen here on YouTube –
Christmas Markets Where and When
A lesson in tossing pizza from Harrison Searle. Photo by Marcus Mingins 4717006MMR1
The market, organised by the Friends of St John, will be outside the Slug and Lettuce pub and the Old Post Office Inn which opens today.
The Traditional Christmas Markets feature lots of lovely local craft stalls and producer, The Rootless Pub, children’s ride, a food van, and the stage for a full day of entertainment on Saturday.
Here is a full list of stalls – Lulu in Stitches, Halcyon Crafts, Rock Chick, My Little Pink Shed, Amanda Lowe Creates, Cadbury Hot Chocolate Stall, St John’s Fundraising Team, Sarah’s Feisty Flavours, Charming Creations, The Denim Upcycler, Blueberry Button, Panache Gifts, St Basils, Wychbold Fudge, Romsley Gems, Original Kiln-fired Enamelled Jewellery, Fruitfields Apple Juice & Honey, Rose’s Wreaths, Sildil glass, Kimmal Crafty Creations, Chadsgrove Learning Centre
At the New Road end of town, close to the action for the main Christmas light switch-on there are more Christmas Traders selling locally made goods alongside the regular Bromsgrove Market Traders.
There will also be a German sausage seller and doughnut and waffles stall on Saturday.
Saturday – Live entertainment at the Christmas Market
1pm – Ryan McMey
2.15pm – Jack Goodall
3.15pm – Vintage Class
4.00pm – StageCoach Carols by the Christmas Tree
4.20pm – Chris Wood
5.15pm – Vintage Class for the Light Switch On at 5.30pm
Magician Luke Baker will be there from 11.30am until 2pm doing walkabout magic tricks
Jebb on Stilts will undertake three half-hour walkabouts at 3.15pm, 4.15pm and 5.15pm (VC girls will check if his boots are made for walking!!)
Christmas lights switch-on – Saturday
The switch-on will take place outside the Golden Cross on the High Street.
Coun. Caroline Spencer gets some help turning on the lights. Picture by Marcus Mingins 4718004MMR8 www.buyphotos247.com
From 3.30pm to 5.30pm there will be live entertainment with a music roadshow hosted by town resident and BBC Hereford and Worcester radio presenter Malcolm Boyden.
‘Free to Dream’, Chadsgrove School Choir, Artrix Songstars Showchoir, the Theatre Workshop and Rock Choir will all be performing and there will be the chance to meet Snow White, Father Christmas and the Winter Wonderland Birds!
Father Christmas, Snow White will be turning on the lights with other special guests at 5.30pm.
Bromsgrove Indie Club’s Worcester Road Street Party
THE Worcester Road will be closed to traffic between 2pm and 9pm on Saturday and there will be street food vendors, bars, music and live entertainment.
Other attractions will include DJ performances and traders, including Ollies Eatery, Bayleys of Bromsgrove, The Mexi Co and Dicks Smokehouse.
Businesses on the road will be open as usual, with nightclub 57 Monkeys opening its doors early to host a disco for all of the family.
Get Arty at the Street Party
The Tell Me What you want project brings brand new interactive art to Worcester Road.
People will be able to make films with their mobile; contribute to a large scale drawing to give ideas shape, rearrange enamelled jewellery to reflect what you believe is beautiful, engage in on-the spot poetry.
The event, commissioned by the Bromsgrove Arts and Culture Consortium, involves local artists who have designed their interactive presentations in response to provocations….reasons for not being involved in arts and culture and the barriers faced by those who would like to be involved.
The individual events will take place between 2pm and 7pm in venues in Worcester Road…..Andy Shaw’s Film Workshop at Bayley’s of Bromsgrove, Laura Broderick’s giant drawing at 57 Monkeys, Christine Harmer’s reconfigurable jewellery outside the Dog and Pheasant – ambulatory poets at a venue to be ascertained.
