|
Date |
Event |
Details |
Website
 |
|
01/12/2017 |
Wootton Bassett
Christmas Lights |
High Street, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. 6pm-8pm. Santa and reindeer arrive
and visit the Gift and Food Stalls, they also take part in the Lights switch on and
sing Carols by the tree. |
RWB
Events |
|
01/12/2017 |
Dunster by Candlelight |
1st
and 2nd December 2017
Dunster, Somerset. The medieval village of Dunster turns back the
clock and celebrates a traditional Christmas almost entirely lit by
candlelight. A special WSR steam train
departs from their Bishops Lydeard station. Passengers have the choice of
alighting from the train at Dunster station and partake in a 20 minute
walk to the village (torch required) or you can continue to travel to Minehead
and board a dedicated free bus service to take you back to the edge of Dunster. |
Dunster by Candelight |
|
01/12/2017 |
Enchanted Christmas |
1st to 18th December 2017
Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire. Between 5pm-8pm. For three weekends
in December you can see the arboretum lit up. Take a walk through the Enchanted Wood, about a mile
long, as well as interactive activities. Father Christmas, carols from bands
and choirs and more. Advance booking required. |
Westonbirt @ Christmas |
|
02/12/2017 |
Mevagissey Christmas
Lights |
Mevagissey, Cornwall.
6.30pm Switch on of lights for the festive season. |
Light Up
|
|
02/12/2017 |
Calne Winter Festival
and Lantern Parade |
Calne, Wiltshire. A
traditional lantern parade through the streets culminates with the
'switching on' of the Christmas Lights, followed by a firework finale. |
Lantern
Parade |
|
02/12/2017 |
Tree Dressing Day |
Decorate a tree on Tree Dressing Day, always the first full weekend of
December. |
Tree Dressing |
|
02/12/2017 |
Rottingdean Smugglers Night |
Brighton,
Sussex.
Starts at 6pm with the Children's procession, followed at 7pm with a torch
procession from Lower High Street to the village green. Ending at the beach
with a bonfire and fireworks. |
The Smugglers |
|
02/12/2017 |
Great Christmas Pudding Race |
Covent Garden Market,
London at 11am. Teams dressed in fancy dress race around an
obstacle course, raising money for charity. To make it more difficult, they
have to carry a Christmas pudding on a tray for the Pudding Trophy. |
Pudding Race |
|
07/12/2017 |
Padstow Christmas
Festival |
7th to
10th December 2017 Padstow, Cornwall.
Includes Christmas market, live music, fireworks, lantern parade, Floating
Light Display and a food
festival with chef demos. |
Xmas
Festival |
|
07/12/2017 |
Chester’s Winter Watch Parade |
7th and 14th December 2017. Chester,
Cheshire. Parade starts 7pm from the Forum Shopping Centre. Samba bands, dragons, devils and a
fire breathing finale. The Chester Re-enactment group
joins the Chester Watch and a group of giant skeletons, with Roman chariot and
more. |
Winter Watch |
|
08/12/2017 |
Victorian Weekend |
8th to
10th December 2017. Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire. A
Victorian fair with town
criers, treasure hunt, Christmas stalls and lights, street entertainment, Victorian food & drink, and
more. |
Robin
Hoods Bay - Whats On |
|
12/12/2017 |
Olympia
Horse Show |
12th to 18th December 2017 Olympia,
London. 7 days of equestrian competitions indoors in the Olympia arena,
including show jumping, dressage, carriage driving, Shetland Pony Grand National, stunt riding,
exhibition horsemanship
and more. |
Olympia Horse Show |
|
16/12/2017 |
Mousehole Lights |
16th December 2017 to 6th January 2018
Mousehole, Cornwall. The Harbour Christmas lights get switched on at 7.30pm
on Saturday and are on from
5pm to
11pm each day. On 19th December the lights are dimmed
8pm-9pm. |
Mousehole Lights |
|
17/12/2017 |
Chase the Pudding Santa Run |
Weymouth
Beach,
Dorset. 11am-1pm. Competitors dress up in Santa outfits and take part in
a 5K run on Weymouth Beach, chasing a Christmas Pudding. |
Race Details
2017 Events |
|
21/12/2017 |
Winter Solstice |
Shortest Day of the Year |
|
|
21/12/2017 |
Burning the Clocks |
Madeira Drive, Brighton,
East Sussex. 6:30pm. A parade of paper and willow lanterns carried through
the city and burn on the beach as a token for the end of the year. There is
live music and fireworks. |
Burning the Clocks |
|
21/12/2017 |
River of Light Parade |
Caerphilly, South Wales.
Starts 6:30pm. A Lantern Parade through the town and around the castle, finishing with a
firework display at the castle. |
Lantern Parade |
|
25/12/2017 |
Christmas Day |
Worldwide |
|
|
25/12/2017 |
Peter Pan Christmas Morning Handicap Swim |
Hyde
Park, London. Starts at 9am on the south bank of the lake close to the
Serpentine Café. Members of the Serpentine Lake Swimming Club, swim across
the lake, and raise money for charity. Only open to swimming club members, but spectators welcome. |
Serpentine Swim |
|
25/12/2017 |
Hunstanton Christmas Day Swim |
Central Promenade, Hunstanton, Cambridgeshire. Swimmers assemble at
11am-12noon. Thousands of spectators watch hundreds of madcap swimmers in
fancy dress take to the cold winter sea for a charity swim! |
Hunstanton |
|
25/12/2017 |
Porthcawl Christmas Swim |
Porthcawl, South Wales. 11.45am Swimmers leave the Hi-Tide Inn to brave the
winter seas. About 700 swimmers are set on their way by the Porthcawl
Coastguards firing a maroon signal, they run into the
water and swim. |
Christmas Swim |
|
26/12/2017 |
Boxing Day |
UK
Public Holiday |
|
|
26/12/2017 |
Christmas Day Boys & Mens BA’ |
Kirkwall, Orkney. Traditional street rugby, played by the Uppies and Doonies
(around 200 men taking part) with a much prized locally made leather Ba’
(ball). The Ba’ is thrown up outside St. Magnus Cathedral and the game
ranges through the town. The Ba’ starts on Broad Street with the boys game
beginning at 10.30am and the men’s at
1pm. |
Orkney Tradition
Ba Game
Visit Orkney
|
|
26/12/2017 |
The West Bay Wallow |
West Bay
Harbour
Slipway,
Bridport, Dorset 12noon. Individuals in fancy dress take a dip in the cold sea to
raise money for charity. Spectators can watch from the harbour side. |
Xmas Swim |
|
26/12/2017 |
Marshfield Murmmers Parade |
Marshfield,
Gloucestershire. 11am in village centre. Performances by the Marshfield
Murmmers, dressed in costumes made from strips of newsprint and coloured
paper (The Paper Boys) perform their play several times along the High Street. |
Mummers Plays |
|
26/12/2017 |
Pagham Pram Race |
Old
Mill, Pagham Road,
Pagham,
Sussex.
11am start. Oldest continuing pram race in the world, stopping at local pubs
and raising money for charity. 80 competitors expected. |
Pram Race |
|
26/12/2017 |
Nippy Dipper Boxing Day Dip |
Leisure Centre, Beach Promenade,
Aberdeen.
Starts 10:30am. Swimmers in fancy dress parade to the sea and raise funds
for their charity. |
Nippy Dip |
|
26/12/2017 |
Grantchester Barrel Rolling |
Grantchester, Cambridgeshire. 12noon races start in the village street with
4 teams from Granchester competing and then one team from Granchester and 3
neighbouring villages take part in a relay race up and down the main street.
Races last around 40 minutes. |
Grantchester
Wikipedia |
|
26/12/2017 |
Tenby Boxing Day
Swim |
North
Beach,
Tenby, South Wales. 10am. Watch a group of hardy swimmers in fancy dress
take to the sea for a morning swim raising money
for charity. |
Tenby Swim |
|
26/12/2017 |
Boxing Day Duck Race |
Abbey Fields, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. 12noon Around 1500 Ducks are
released at the Ford, to make their way down river 200 metres and net the winner the
top prize of £100. Each duck costs £1. |
Duck Race |
|
26/12/2017 |
Windlesham Pram Race |
Windlesham, Surrey. 10:30am start. A pram race with a difference raising money
for charity. A 3.7 mile course is a carnival parade visiting all the village
watering halls. |
Pram Race
Pram Race Images |
|
30/12/2017 |
Edinburgh Torchlight Procession |
Calton Hill,
Edinburgh 7:30pm.
A procession of people carrying wax based torches to Carlton Hill where
there is Firework Finale. You can buy the torches and be part of the
procession as well. |
Hogmany Procession |
|
31/12/2017 |
|
New Years Eve |
|
|
31/12/2016 |
New Years Eve Fireworks
- London |
Victoria Embankment,
London. 7:30pm. A Midnight firework display where thousands of revellers
watch a 10 minute display, and bring in the New Year. This is a ticketed
event to restrict numbers. |
NYE London |
|
31/12/2017 |
Stonehaven Fire Ball Spectacular |
Stonehaven, nr
Aberdeen. At
midnight (spectators
should be in place by
11:30pm), over 60 people march up and down the High Street of Stonehaven
swinging giant, blazing fireballs weighing up to 20 pounds each. |
Stonehaven Fireballs |
|
31/12/2017 |
Nos Galan New Years Eve Road Race |
Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales. 4.30pm-8.15pm. An evening
road race for children and adults, the first junior race starts at 5.15pm
and the Adult 5k race at 7pm. |
Nos Galan |
|
31/12/2017 |
Biggar Bonfire |
Biggar, South
Lanarkshire,
Scotland.
Bonfire lit at 9.30pm. A torchlight parade accompanied by pipers and
drummers with a bonfire lit by the oldest resident in the town. Free. |
Biggar Bonfire |
|
31/12/2017 |
Allendale Baal Celebration |
Allendale. Northumberland. 45 Local men known as Guisers, in fancy dress,
carry flaming tar whisky barrels on their heads to the Market Place where at
midnight they are used to light a bonfire. |
Tar Barrels
Allendale |
|
31/12/2016 |
Comrie Flambeaux Procession |
Comrie, Perthshire. Free event, starts 11.30pm. Eight huge torches made
from small birch trees wrapped in Hessian and soaked in paraffin, parade
around the village for News Years Eve. They are lit at midnight and
accompanied by pipers and paraded around the town
and then thrown from a bridge into the River Earn, taking a whole years worth of
evil spirits with them. |
Comrie Flambeaux
Comrie |
