Yuletide Festival

The 2007 Alton Yuletide Festival will be bursting with scents and flavours of Christmas, the sounds of spectacular entertainment and a dazzling array of crafts and goodies from the markets for Christmas

Sunday 2^nd December 2007 is the date to put in your diary……………………..

Following last year’s tremendous success, organisers of Alton’s annual Christmas event, the Yuletide Festival, are planning an even bigger spectacle for you. This year there will be a magic show and grotto in the Assembly Rooms filled with lots of goodies.

The markets will stretch from the lower end of the High Street and into Normandy Street offering you both traditional and the return of Italia in Piazza Italian Food Market plus a great selection of local crafts and produce for that ‘special’ Christmas gift. The Assembly Rooms will also be hosting a craft and charities fayre.

It is hoped that this year it will be the biggest of its kind in the area. It takes place on Sunday 2^nd December from 10.00am to 4pm, and will provide a great festive shopping experience, with local retailers opening too so you can do all your Christmas Shopping in Alton and enjoy lots of various street entertainment, all for FREE.

The whole of the town centre will be closed to traffic and will be buzzing with a traditional and Italian food market, craft market, charity stalls, children’s fun rides, street entertainment including the Porchester School Steel Band bringing their unique sound to Alton sponsored by Southern Market Traders Ltd., a spectacular traditional fairground organ, the return of ’Santa on his bike’ who will chat to the shoppers to find out what they really want in their stocking. The Alton Community Lantern Procession will weave its way through the streets into the Public Gardens with their hand crafted lamplight display.

There will also be the traditional nativity donkeys for the youngsters plus lots of music and entertainment including the Salvation Army Band and choirs from in and around Alton filling the town with a festive spirit. They will be joined by impromptu performances by street entertainers including stilt walkers, magicians and fire eaters throughout the day.

To help ease those hunger pangs, you can sample an array of mouth watering food, and savour the aroma of the mulled wine and those seasonal treats and beverages from the many eateries, pubs and coffee shops and special Christmas fayre that Alton has to offer you.

As well as the High Street and Normandy Street there will be events running in the Community Centre which will include a raffle for a wonderful Christmas Hamper kindly donated by the staff of the Community Centre, Santa’s post-box where you can write your letter and send it to Father Christmas and he promises that he will write back to you, mulled wine and mince pies, stalls galore and free entry.

So mark the date in your diary Sunday 2^nd December 2007 and bring the whole family along - there will be something there for everyone. 

Community Times Alton, Alresford & Villages will also be there so come along and say hello!