Time to switch on Christmas lights

Tuesday 12th November 2013

Maidstone town centre’s new Christmas lights display will be unveiled at this year’s switch-on event, in Jubilee Square on Friday, November 15.  The build-up will start at 4.15pm with live music and entertainment on the Jubilee Square stage, with special guests including Cerrie Burnell from CBeebies.

Entertainment throughout the town centre will include a runaway Christmas tree fairy, a giant snowman and a giant elf.

The lights will be switched on at 6pm and Maidstone will have a fantastic new display in the town centre this year.  Following the redevelopment of the upper High Street in 2012, and the lower High Street this year, Maidstone Borough Council has invested £74,000 from last year’s budget underspend to improve the festive decorations in the town centre.

Cllr Malcolm Greer, Cabinet Member for Economic and Commercial Development, said: “We have extended the scheme to bring sparkle to more areas of the town centre.  As well as a dramatic display for Jubilee Square and the upper High Street, there will be new decorations in St Faith’s Street, Earl Street, the station end of Week Street, the lower High Street, Bishop’s Way and the Bridges gyratory system.”

This year will see the replacement of the last of Maidstone’s old style lights with new low energy LED displays in Union Street, Pudding Lane, the upper and lower High Street, and Barker Road.

The town centre switch-on is the first of two Christmas lights events in Maidstone this year. Fremlin Walk’s Christmas lights switch-on will take place from 4-9pm on Thursday, November 21.  Father Christmas will arrive by sleigh with his reindeers, to be joined by England rugby star Phil Vickery.

For more information about events taking place over the festive period visit www.visitMaidstone.com/christmas

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