A market town council has revealed plans to step back in time and host a Victorian Christmas Festival.
The one-day event, taking place in Neston on Saturday December 3, will see the market square and town hall take on the character of a bygone era.
People will be able to enjoy traditional celebrations from the 1800s and watch the Christmas lights switch-on by the town mayor, Mike Shipman.
The festival will include an artisan food and craft market in addition to traditional Christmas gift stalls and Christmas crafts activities.
There will be an opportunity to enjoy Christmas shopping and a full programme of Victorian entertainment while mingling with Victorian characters.
Father Christmas is said to be already looking forward to welcoming visitors in his very special grotto inside the town hall on the high street.
The event is being funded and organised by Neston Town Council to ensure the town is able to enjoy a Christmas event.
Claire Evans, the council’s new events manager, said “We want to celebrate Neston’s rich history by taking the town back to the Victorian era for our Christmas celebrations.
“The Victorians invented many of the traditions we’ve come to associate with Christmas today and we are certain that the sights, smells and sounds of Neston’s Victorian Christmas Festival will be a magical experience for both adults and children alike.
“We are looking forward to working with the Rotary Club, Neston District Churches Together and other local community groups to put on a truly authentic experience that will bring the town together in an enchanting celebration of Christmas.”
The council says further details of the event will be released in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile it has commissioned Neston Young Writers to write a new piece of drama for the festival.
The town’s Little Actors Theatre Company formed Neston Young Writers in January with funding from the Arts Council and the town council.
Artistic director Samantha Giblin said: “This will be an interesting new challenge for the group to create an interactive script for one actor to bring to life for the festive audience.”
The young writers, who meet at Neston Community Youth Centre, will put together their work during five workshops.
Anyone wishing to join the group can contact Samantha at Little Actors on 0151 336 4302 or mail@littleactorstheatre.com. New members will be welcome to join in. The weekly fee is only £1 and the next meeting is on Wednesday, October 19.
