CHRISTMAS EVENTS

Your 18 page guide to all things Christmas, packed with ideas, events, parties, fairs and places to shop in the run up to the big day.

2 CHRISTMAS EVENTS 3 OUTDOOR EVENTS 4 SANTA VISITS 6 FESTIVE PARTIES 8 WREATH MAKING 10 THRIFTY CHRISTMAS 12 CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIR 13 CHRISTMAS FAIRS 14 CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 16 CHRISTMAS TREES 16 WILLEN HOSPICE

Georgian Christmas Display

Inhale the aromas of the festive season; smell the evergreen sprigs of greenery among the decorations and spices in the kitchen at The Cowper & Newton Museum in Olney, before enjoying the festive display which will be open between December 1 and 21.

Usual entrance fees apply, and a free children’s trail will keep them occupied.

Stony Stratford Farmers Market

Wrap up warm and peruse the stalls with their lovely produce in the Market Square on December 23 – perfect for last minute gifts and nice things. The event will be soundtracked by live music, and children can line-up for face painting, while parents enjoy a cup of mulled wine.

The man in red might be popping along too... If you want to skate your way to December 25, Daventry’s Whilton Locks Garden Village is the place to go to – with a real ice undercover rink back in play from November 18 (until January 3, 2023), and this year the village promises it will be ‘bigger, better and icy-er than ever before.’

Sessions last for 45 minutes, beginning on the hour, and advance bookings are advised.

Whilton delivers the skating experience to as many people as possible – it offers Super SEN Skating sessions for you and your children, so you can use traditional skates, or twin blades skates for added stability.

Penguin and polar bear skate aids are also available, and there are special Toddler Skate events too, for children aged four years and under.

Any ‘cheap skates’ among you? You’ll want to make full use of the half price sessions available, then. For full details visit whiltonlocksgardenvillage.com

A Dickens of a Christmas

It’s an Olney town tradition that attracts thousands of people every year and it returns in 2022 on December 4.

Enjoy the seasonal market with stallholders choosing to don Victorian costume, and enjoy a cup (or three) of mulled wine as you peruse the stalls selling gifts, food, Christmas trees and decorations, and much more. There are more than a few stalls to take attention too – with Market Place and the length of the High Street occupied by sellers.

Additionally, The Olney Centre and library and The Carlton House Club will host craft fairs.

An old fashioned fair, street organ entertainers and the Olney Brass Band will entertain you, and many of Olney’s independent retailers open their doors for this special event, offering still more giftbuying choices.

At The Cowper and Newton Museum, mulled wine and hot chocolate will be among the steaming drinks to warm you up between 10am and 4pm, and entertainment in the garden will be running at midday, 2pm and 3pm.

At 2.15pm, you are invited to the ‘24 Days of Advent’ carol singing in the Flower Garden, and a festive display, A Georgian Christmas, will run inside the Museum – usual entrance fees apply.

Parking can be a problem due to the popularity of this seasonal special, so make use of the park and ride services which make moving about easy – they will be running from Emberton Park and the Yardley Road Industrial Estate.

A Dickens of a Christmas is free to attend and runs between 10am and 4pm.

Get your skates on!

The whole family can take part in the skating with penguin and polar bear skate aids and special Toddler Skate events