Return of Christmas festival

THOUSANDS are expected to descend on Henley’s town centre for its annual Christmas festival next Friday.

The festival will run from 5pm to 9pm and Market Place, Duke Street, Bell Street and Hart Street will be closed to traffic from 3pm to 11pm.

The town council, which organises the annual event, is providing a host of family attractions. The Christmas tree lights will be switched on at 7pm by Mayor Tom Buckley, actress Jerry Hall and winner of the Mayor’s Christmas card competition Charlotte Vernon.

They will push the button from the main stage, which will be installed in front of the town hall this year to reduce congestion and improve visibility.

Dozens of stalls and rides will line the streets of the town centre, which will be closed to traffic from 3pm to 11pm. The festival will run from 5pm to 9pm.

Live music will be played on the stage in Market Place including carol singing and Christmas music played by Woodley Concert Band.

Santa’s Grotto will return to the King’s Arms Barn from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. Santa’s helpers will also be collecting donations for various charities.

Councillor Sarah Miller, who sits on the council’s town and community committee, said she was looking forward to the festival, which feels like “the start of Christmas”. She said: “I’m really looking forward to it every year the festival is such a wonderful event in Henley and I’m delighted to have Jerry Hall turning on the lights.

“I think the Christmas festival in Henley is really the start of Christmas for me. I love Henley at Christmas time.

“We’re blessed to have such a beautiful town and it’s a lovely evening for everybody for families and children and year on year it gets bigger and bigger.”

On Friday, December 5, the inaugural “Shop under the Stars” event will take place in the town.

More than 25 retailers in the town centre will stay open until 8pm for the late-night shopping event.

There will be live festive music and entertainment in the Market Place from Denizen, which will be performing from 4pm to 5.30pm and Freddie and the Freeloaders from 6pm to 7.30pm.

Cllr Miller said she hoped the event would be a “win-win” for both retailers and those unable to get to the shops during the day due to work commitments. She said: “This is something that we used to do years ago and it was very popular.

“We have got to do as much as we can for retailers in Henley and grow footfall in the town. Everyone is feeling the pinch.”

She added: “I hope it will be a great success. It’s always really good for people that are working during the day so it’s a win-win.”

Traders will also be occupying a number of alpine-style huts in Henley Market Place, selling a range of gifts. The huts will be there from December 4 to 14.

The Living Advent Calendar will kick off at the town hall on December 1. It is being organised by the town council for the first time.

Each evening until Christmas, a different venue in the town will host a surprise performance in support of a different charity, organisation or community group.

The town will also be visited by the Grinch on Saturday, December 20 from 11am to 1pm.