Chrismas in Chester gets underway.

Chrismas in Chester gets underway.

The festive season is fast approaching and is set to be better than ever in Chester this year as the city’s Christmas in Chester campaign gets underway with a spectacular programme of seasonal events in the city centre and surrounding areas.

The campaign brings together leading visitor experiences and venues across the city to showcase Chester as the small city with a BIG Christmas.

Grosvenor Shopping Centre will also be offering late night opening hours for high street shopping and brand new stores, featuring lovely decorations and a stunning tree in its Victorian Arcade, along with a Christmas scene and children’s competition. In Paddock Row, there will be three Christmas activity walls for children to win great prizes as well as Christmas floor graphics and an interactive light floor in central square.

Chester’s unique Christmas Market will once again be outside the Town Hall from Thursday 19th November to Sunday 20thDecember with over 70 chalets filled with gift ideas, hot food and a real ale bar. The Christmas Parades are returning with the Light Switch On parade on Thursday 19th November at 7pm. The first parade, coordinated by CH1ChesterBID is set to be a bigger and better experience for visitors to the city this year, themed the 12 days of Christmas, to switch on its Christmas lights. It will be closely followed by the Lantern Parade on 26th November.

The festive fun builds through to December as the famous Coca Cola truck visits Chester city centre for the first time ever and the Snowman also returns to the Cathedral following on from sell-out performances last year. The film will once again be shown on a large screen accompanied by a live professional orchestra. The Parades culminate with the Saturnalia Parade on 17th December where the Roman legion will light up the streets with a torch-lit parade.

Outside of the city centre, at Chester Zoo during the day Father Christmas will be reading stories in Oakfield House, with a gift for every child.

CH1ChesterBID will be bringing the childhood magic of Christmas to the city with the return of Chester Kidsmas, a festival of free family friendly activities including an enchanting Santa’s Post Office on Northgate Street,Christmas film screenings at the Grosvenor Museum and meet and greets with ChELFie and his new female friend ELFie, who will be giving away free holographic glasses that turn decorative lights into sparkling Christmas Shapes, every weekend from 21st November.

Chester Racecourse will also be helping party goers celebrate the festive season with Party Nights, offering a magical Christmas setting with themed party night bespoke Christmas events.

Anna Roberts, Marketing Manager at Marketing Cheshire which coordinates the city’s Christmas in Chester campaign, said: “Chester offers a truly unique and magical Christmas experience and once again this year the city has pulled out all the stops to deliver a programme of festive events and attractions not to be missed. From the Christmas Market to fantastic late night shopping experiences in the city centre to spectacular parades, Christmas in Chester is a great celebration of the best of what the city has to offer.”

Full details of Chester’s Christmas programme of events can be found atwww.christmasinchester.com.