Christmas celebrations in Tameside

A spectacular winter carnival will launch the borough's Christmas celebrations in style this year.

The borough-wide Northern Lights event will be held in Stalybridge on Saturday 16 November and will include a dazzling lantern parade, as well as beautiful and atmospheric lights showcasing key features of the town.

It will be the first of the many Christmas celebrations being planned with the community for towns across the borough.

The lantern parade, which starts at 5pm, will culminate in Armentieres Square with entertainment and a Christmas lights switch on from approximately 6.15pm.

Celebrations will also include a Christmas Craft Market in Stalybridge Civic Hall on the day from 11am, with a fun fair and wide variety of festive and artisan stalls including delicious food and drink.

Tameside Council say it has successfully applied for Arts Council funding and is working with international festival specialists Global Grooves to stage the event.

Any dance troops, bands or community groups that would like to take part can email events@tameside.gov.uk.

There will also be opportunities for families and individuals to get involved in lantern-making workshops at Astley Cheetham Art Gallery on 2 and 9 November - you can drop in between 10.30am and 1pm. Community groups and schools can also book lantern-making workshops by emailing events@tameside.gov.uk.

In addition to the Tameside wide event, there will also be more local community-led Christmas celebration events in other towns as detailed below. As part of this, there will also be new, more contemporary and environmentally friendly Christmas lighting on key civic buildings and features in each town.

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council Executive Member responsible for culture, said: “I’m really looking forward to this year’s Christmas celebrations – we’re working with towns and the community to plan some fantastic festive events and we really want people to get involved, while supporting their local towns and traders."

She went on: "I'm particularly excited about the Tameside wide event being held in Stalybridge this year. The lantern parade promises to be a real spectacle and the town will look especially beautiful and atmospheric with key features illuminated for the event.

“There are lots of opportunities for community groups to get involved and for everyone to take part in lantern making workshops at the wonderful Astley Cheetham Art Gallery. The Christmas market in Stalybridge Civic Hall is an added attraction. It should be a fabulous celebration for all to enjoy.”

Here's a full list of other town centre community Christmas celebrations:

• Friday 22 November, 4pm to 7pm, Audenshaw - there will be entertainment on stage, craft stalls in Ryecroft Hall, a fun fair and Father Christmas
• Friday 22 November, 5.30pm to 6.35pm, Dukinfield - there will be entertainment, a fun fair and Father Christmas on a sledge
• Friday 22 November, 6pm to 6.30pm, Micklehurst - there will be a brass band and Father Christmas 
• Friday 22 November to Sunday 24 November, 11am to 8pm on Friday & Saturday and 11am to 5.30pm on Sunday, Denton - there will be a three-day Christmas market, mulled wine, Denton's Got Talent (on Saturday 2pm to 4pm), and the Lights Switch-on (on Saturday at a time TBC)
• Saturday 23 November, 12pm to 6pm (with lights switch-on from 5pm), Droylsden - there will be a fun fair, entertainment on stage and stalls 
• Saturday 23 November, 3.45pm to 7pm (with lights switch-on from 6.30pm), Mossley - the events are yet to be confirmed 
• Saturday 30 November, 3.45pm to 4.45pm, Hollingworth - there will be Father Christmas to switch on the tree lights