Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre replaced by five day series of festive events
A five day series of festive events is set to be held in Bury St Edmunds instead of the town's annual Christmas Fayre.
West Suffolk Council is no longer staging the Christmas Fayre, which will be replaced by a linked set of events run by a new partnership from November 17.
The fayre, which attracts thousands of people to Bury St Edmunds, was cancelled over the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mark Cordell, chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID which is part of the partnership, said: "The Christmas Fayre was always such an important and popular event for the town and its businesses, although I acknowledge there were some businesses and residents who were less supportive of it.
"As a consequence, I am delighted that this new partnership has come together with the aim of creating an event that retains the benefits of the fayre but hopefully reduces the inconvenience and disruption that some have previously experienced.
"It is essential for Bury to raise its profile as a visitor and retail destination post Covid and I am confident that this new event will positively contribute to achieving this objective. It’s an exciting time for the town and I know that the majority of BID businesses will welcome this good news."
Festivities will kick off on November 17 with the Our Bury St Edmunds BID Christmas Lights event and will be followed by the St Edmund's Day Weekend Spectacle of Light from November 17 to 20 (St Edmunds Day).
From November 23, there will be five festive days of Christmas events which will include a range of entertainment and bespoke themed markets and activities.
They are being planned, delivered and paid for by the new Christmas in Bury St Edmunds Partnership and will complement the Abbey 1000 celebrations.
The partnership is working on the details of the various events and more information will be released in due course on the Christmas in Bury St Edmunds section of the Bury and Beyond website.
The partnership includes the arc shopping centre, Our Bury St Edmunds BID, Bury St Edmunds Town Council, St Edmundsbury Cathedral and West Suffolk Council.
Julie Baird, Director (Planning and Growth) for West Suffolk Council, said: “I would like to thank the partnership in coming together to work on delivering a series of festive activities over five days to support our local businesses and help everyone have a great Christmas.
"By having this partnership we all hope to be able to deliver together a series of events that will take over from the traditional Christmas Fayre and appeal to everyone.
"We want get the balance on creating an attractive, enjoyable and safe event and one that will complement the Abbey 1000 celebrations as well as the other festivities that will be going on in November and December."
Catherine Rayson, Marketing Manager for St Edmundsbury Cathedral, said they were delighted to support the festive events in the town as 2022 was 'such an important year for celebrating Bury St Edmunds' with the Abbey 1000 activities.
Greg Luton, Bury St Edmunds Town Clerk, noted the initiative was 'the next stage in the life of our fantastic annual Christmas festivities which we all look forward to each year'.
"It is a great opportunity to draw visitors and residents into the town centre and bring the Christmas spirit alive, once again," he said.
Allan Hassell, Centre Manager at the arc, added: “We are proud to be part of the Christmas in Bury St Edmunds Partnership to bring the town a Christmas full of festivities which will support the entire community of businesses around us.
"I'm really looking forward to my first Christmas here in Bury St Edmunds and I am confident that the planned activities will be not only enjoyable, but memorable for all, and really put Bury St Edmunds on the map."
The partnership will review the success of the events for future years.