
Christmas celebrations launch in Truro on Friday 22nd November when Truro BID will be bringing Festive Friday, featuring Truro’s Christmas Lights Switch-on, to the city for the fourth year.
Johnny Cowling and Lucy Start will be back hosting the event which takes place on the stage in Boscawen Street which is kindly supplied by Truro City Council as part of their contribution to Festive Friday. In the run up to the Christmas Lights being switched-on there will also be special entertainment on the stage from 5pm organised by the Hall for Cornwall.
At 7pm the lights will be switched-on by Johnny Cowling, Lucy Start and Truro BID, along with special guests including cast members from Hall for Cornwall’s Christmas Show Jack and the Beanstalk, and the event sponsor, Coodes Solicitors.Following the big switch-on there will be a celebratory live music in Boscawen St until 8.15pm.
Many of Truro’s shop windows will once again be decorated with Christmas reindeer lights from the 22nd November.
In addition to the Lights Switch-on, the Truro Christmas Market starts on Lemon Quay and is open daily for the festive season until Christmas Eve. Trading from 9am until 9pm on Festive Friday, the Truro Christmas Market will showcase local food, drink, arts and crafts from traders across Cornwall in festive wooden cabins set against a backdrop of Christmas lights and music.
As part of the city’s festive markets, Boscawen Street will host stalls on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 23rd November, along with traffic-free streets and live entertainment. The Boscawen Street Christmas Markets will feature a combination of festive gifts and produce from local and independent makers, and some street food.
The Truro Christmas Market is brought to the city by Truro Farmers Market and Cornwall Event Cabins, and the Boscawen Street Christmas Markets are a collaboration between Cornwall Shop Small, Truro Farmers Market and Truro BID.
To continue the festivities and to coincide with the first Wednesday Late Night Shopping on 27th November the Father Christmas Parade will be returning and takes place at 6.30pm.
As well as Father Christmas in his sleigh, dancers, musicians and circus performers will be parading around the city centre to welcome in Wednesday Late Night shopping. The Father Christmas Parade is influenced by this year’s Christmas Family Show at the Hall for Cornwall, Jack and the Beanstalk. The event is being brought to the city by Truro BID and sponsored by Coodes Solicitors.
New for this year, Truro BID have invited City of Lights to be represented at The Father Christmas Parade. City of Lights will be delivering a full day of bookable workshops at the Hall for Cornwall for families on Saturday 16th November. These families will then be invited to parade their small lanterns as part of the Father Christmas Parade. To book a place on the lantern workshop see: https://www.hallforcornwall.co.uk/whats-on
Four late night shopping Wednesdays will take place from 27th November giving ample chances to explore Truro’s wide range of independent and high street shops, restaurants, and bars.
The Truro Park & Ride will be operating a later service on Festive Friday and Wednesday Late Night Shopping evenings, with the last service leaving the city at 9.30pm. Due to the city centre road closures in place to create traffic-free streets, the Park and Ride services towards Tregurra Park will use River Street and services towards Langarth Park, will use Victoria Square.
From Saturday 7th December, Father Christmas returns to Truro for eight dates at the Royal Cornwall Museum with a family storytelling and grotto experience.
Father Christmas at the Museum involves joining Jingle the Elf for a storytelling treat. Then meeting Father Christmas at his Kernow office, hearing him tell a story and receiving a gift. The 45-minute experience is presented by Coppice Theatre, supported by Truro BID, and hosted by the Royal Cornwall Museum. Tickets will be on sale from Monday 28th October from www.coppicetheatre.co.uk.
Alun Jones, Truro BID Manager said: “We are pleased to be bringing back Festive Friday and The Father Christmas Parade and thank our sponsor Coodes Solicitors. We are also looking forward to working with partners to deliver the Boscawen Street Christmas Markets and to support Father Christmas to return to the Museum. With lots going on, we urge residents and visitors to shop in person on the high street. As always, we are thankful to the local businesses who pay the Truro BID levy so we can deliver events and Truro’s Christmas Lights. Full details of all the events, are available on the Visit Truro website".
Stewart Girvan, from Cornwall Event Cabins the company behind the Truro Christmas Market added: “We are excited to be returning to Lemon Quay with the festive cabins, which were a big hit with both the traders and the public last year. The month-long Truro Christmas Market will be once again showcasing food, drink, arts & craft from traders across Cornwall. With the city having Cornwall’s biggest Christmas Market, people don’t need to go to Exeter or Bath – Truro is the place to be!”
Truro City council will also be hosting two Firework displays on New Years Eve. The popular children's 7.30pm display returns with the discount scheme kindly organised by local resident Paul Caruana. Viewing is recommended from Lemon Quay, where the Truro City Council team will be joined by Truro’s Town Crier and consort Lionel and Carol Knight who will also be on hand to help with the countdown. Our Great Little city will then be light up once again with the Midnight firework display. Both displays, which are free to attend, are made possible as Truro School gives permission for the use of their grounds. Cllr Swain, Mayor of Truro said: “Christmas is a very important time for Truro and Truro City Council is pleased to support the BID to deliver a series of events that help to make Truro and great place to live, work and visit.”
For more details of all festive events in the City, see www.visittruro.org.uk, the official Visitor Information Centre for Truro and follow @visittruro on Facebook and Instagram.