Christmas Lights Switch-on and Tin Hat Fair
About the event
This year's Christmas festivities will come to light in Hinckley on Friday 22 November with the cheerful start of 2024's Christmas Lights Switch-on festival. Celebrations will feature live entertainment, market stalls, late night shopping, a large fair and much more, all packed into the days and evenings of Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November.
The festival will kick off on Friday 22 November at 4pm, with live musical performances on stage in the marketplace. The Mayor, together with this year's special guest Bethany Asher, will hit the switch for the town lights at 6:30pm. There will be no fireworks following the switch on this year.
At this children-friendly opening, younger ones are encouraged to get creative at the free children's crafts workshop in the United Reformed Church, which runs from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. The Tin Hat Fair is going to be back in town for this year's celebrations and will be open on Friday between 4pm and 10pm, and on Saturday between 12pm and 10pm.
The Christmas Lights Switch-on is accompanied by a bustling market which runs the entire length of Castle Street. The market is made up of Friday's market stall holders who have opted to stay on for the evening, a variety of arts and craft stalls, charity stalls raising funds for their chosen charity, and food and drink stalls. At the top of Castle Street, Santa can be found in his grotto, to visit the grotto and receive a present from Santa, it is £5 per child (cash only) and all profits raised will go to Against Breast Cancer.
The Atkins Building will also be hosting their own Christmas Fair on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
All relevant road closure information will be detailed on this website, as well as on One Network (one.network)
Lights in the Mead
Thousands of twinkling fairy lights in hues of green, blue and pink will create a trail of lights around the trees, pathways and bandstand in Argents Mead, Hinckley from Friday 22 November 2024 until Monday 6 January 2025. The 'Lights in the Mead' will be turned on in zones on the night of Hinckley's Christmas Light Switch-On from 5pm on Friday 22 November 2024, with all the lights being on in the Mead from 6:30pm until late that evening. 'Lights in the Mead' will then be on daily, every evening thereafter (Saturday 23 November 2024) until Monday 6 January 2025, alongside the town centre's Christmas lights and Christmas tree in the Market Place.
Entertainment on the live stage
There will be entertainment on the live stage from 4pm to 8pm on Friday.
Late night opening
Many of the shops in the town centre will stay open until 8pm for the Christmas Lights Switch-on. A list of shops that will stay open will be published here nearer the time. Please contact us using our Town Centre contact form to be added to this list.
Apply for a stall
Applications for a stall have now closed and are now fully booked.
Last updated: 29/10/2024 11:34
