COLNE’s Food Festival and Festive Event is set to be bigger and better with year, with food stalls right up the main street on 28th November, with all parking bays suspended. New for this year will be a genuine Weihnachtsmarkt from Colne’s twin town in Marl, Germany. Housed in three Colne Town Council traditionally decorated stalls, the group from Marl will be selling German sausage and cakes, as well as Glühwein.
Colne Town Council Events Committee Chairman and founder of the Colne Food Festival, Cllr. Ash Sutcliffe said: “The fun will last all day and into the evening, culminating with a torchlight procession headed by Santa in his sleigh, a church service followed by carols and dancing in The Precinct before a massive firework display to music from the roof of The Union Exchange tops everything off.”
Ash commented: “We’ve now attracted 30 stalls for the Food Festival, all of which will be open until 7 p.m., and we have some stand out food offerings. Colne is poised to become Lancashire Food Central! I just can’t wait!”
Programme of Events for 28th November:
All day until 7 p.m. Colne Food Festival, in street stalls all over town.
All day: carousels and kiddies’ rides on the Precinct
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Darren Lee, Street Entertainer
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Darwen Brass Band will be entertaining shoppers
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lancashire Wallopers clog dancers will be entertaining shoppers
1 – 5 p.m. Free Donkey rides in Colne Precinct
1 – 5 p.m. Free Face Painting in the Market by Paula and Zoe
1 – 3 p.m. onwards Refreshments and decorate your own cupcake in St. Bartholomew’s Church
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Laura, Street Entertainer
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Pendle Jazzmen will be entertaining shoppers under the Market Canopy
3.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. Darren Lee, street entertainer
The evening’s Festivities kick off at 5.30 p.m. when people who wish to be part of the, now legendary, torchlight procession will meet at The Crown at the bottom of Albert Road, Colne. Everyone is welcome. The Parade will be led, as is now traditional, by Father Christmas in his Sleigh, aided by an elf and a fairy. Also mingling in the crowd with be Princess Elsa and Princess Anna from Frozen. The parade will co-incide with the switching on of Colne’s Christmas lights. Once the procession reaches St. Bartholomew’s at 5.45 p.m., participants will be welcomed inside for a short service. The organisers are asking people to remember to leave their torches outside the church!
The Torchlight Procession will reconvene and continue on to The Precinct for more carols led by Pendle Youth Orchestra and Andrea Monk. At 6.45 p.m., the countdown to the firework display in the Precinct begins with Helen Green’s dancers and festive music favourites. The firework display will begin at 7 p.m.
Road Closures
The Events Committee asks people to clear the area promptly once the fireworks are finished. In order to make the area safe for pedestrians watching the fireworks, Market Street will be closed from Windy Bank to Skipton Road between 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Dockray Street will be kept open to allow cars already in Market Street to leave. The Taxi Rank will be suspended during this time too.
