Bury St Edmunds’ Christmas Fayre gets underway on November 24, with a special preview for locals, and thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the town across the weekend.
When does it all start?
For the first time this year, the Thursday preview will start earlier at 2pm, finishing at 8pm. Times are then as follows:
Friday, November 25: 9am-8pm
Saturday, November 26: 9am-8pm
Sunday, November 27: 10am-5pm.
On November 24, opening night, there will be a parade from the Arc at 5.30pm and a carol concert in aid of East Anglian Children’s Hospices at 6pm at the cathedral. The evening will close with a fireworks display in the Abbey Gardens at 7.45pm.
Where are the stalls?
More than 300 hundreds stalls will line-up throughout the town centre: Angel Hill, the Abbey Gardens, the Cathedral Courtyard, The Athenaeum, and The Arc will all be full of delicious smells and treats.
What else is there to do?
Cookery demonstrations will take place in the St Edmundsbury Cathedral Garth on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The cathedral will also host carol services at 12.30pm and 2.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 1pm on Sunday.
Santa’s elves and reindeer will be in the Abbey Gardens from noon on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
There will also be a Santa’s grotto and post office for children to post their letters – a reply to every letter has been promised.
The Abbey Gardens will also host a Christmas magic show, face-painting, a circus skills workshop, water walkers, a climbing wall and a Dr Who exhibition.
There will be staged entertainment in St John’s Street – which will be pedestrianised – and lots of child-friendly activities in Langton Place, just off Hatter Street.
The Greene King stage on Angel Hill and the Music Sales stage at the Arc will host four days of live music.
Street entertainers, morris dancers and theatre groups will perform in St John’s Street and The Traverse from 10am-5pm.
St Mary’s Church is open 9am-5pm Friday and Saturday with music, refreshments and craft stalls.
St John’s Church will host a viola quartet at 1pm on Friday and choral advent music at 7.30pm on Saturday.
Where can I park?
With thousands expected to flock to the town, extra parking has been put on at Greene King, off Cullum Road, and the Priory School, in Mount Road, for £5 per car on Saturday on Sunday. For Saturday only, there will also be parking at the town’s rugby club for £5.
Other sites, around 20-minutes walk away from the town centre, include: West Suffolk College, in Beetons Way, IP33 3TT (Saturday and Sunday only) which costs £2 per car.
The Olding Road car park, in Olding Road, IP33 3YE, will also be free of charge on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but parking will be limited on Friday.
How else can I get there?
The railway station is around a 15-minute walk from the town centre and there will also be free cycle storage for those riding into town at the bus station in St Andrews Street North.
A park and ride also runs from the Saxham Business Park, just off the A14, at IP28 6RX, and will be well sign-posted.
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