Haverhill community leaders combine to provide two days of festive family fun

Haverhill Town Council's late-night shopping event this Friday, organised in association with The Heart of Haverhill – will be followed by even more fun in town the next day.

The traders in Queen’s Square have again created Santa’s home from home, where Father Christmas and his elf envoy from the North Pole will be waiting to meet as many children as possible.

Tickets are £5 with all profits donated to local charities.

Once the trip to the grotto is over there’s plenty more to do.

Roundabouts and children’s rides will be in the town centre and Abbeycroft Leisure will be on Market Square with their giant climbing wall.

Try out your skill and co-ordination and see the beautiful town lights and glorious Christmas tree from a robin’s eye view.

If you fancy your hand at crafting, The Fabric Seagull and Snobby Eddy Crafts are running a drop in craft making workshop on the High Street.

Alternatively, for those who prefer to appreciate the work of others the annual Christmas Craft Fair returns to the arts centre with a wide variety of makers and stalls selling unusual gifts.

Charities and other local organisations will be out to raise funds for their preferred charities by offering fun activities such as raffles, tombolas and lucky-dips.

They will be joined by local businesses and shops, along with a selection of food stalls.

Music will be provided by performances from talented local buskers, Churches Together, school choirs (from Westfield Primary Academy and Barnardiston Preparatory School) and Haverhill Silver Band.

Disco Kitchen will also be scorching out the tunes, with some traditional Christmas favourites mixed in with dance and chart hits from through the years.

Street Entertainment will be headed up by the ever-popular Elfish Pressie and his band plus lots of bah-humbugging from Messrs Scrooge and Scratchitt as they bring their carol singing carriage to town.

Jones and Barnard are two festive footmen, who deck themselves in regency butler garb but who take the opportunity to deck as many passers-by with tinsel, baubles, glitter as they possibly can.

With a bubble machine, some glitter balls, snow and plenty of traditional party games (such as Musical Statues or Pin the Tail on the Donkey) Carol and Belle are your girls to get the Christmas party started.

On Saturday, Santa and his helpers will return to their grotto, the crafting extravaganza carries on at both the arts centre and on the market with up to 30 additional makers stalls.

The Salvation Army Band will also be treating shoppers to more carols.

Those who enjoyed last year’s Marvellous Magical Winter Kingdom will celebrate its return for 2021.

This time the wintry characters will be located at five mini kingdoms in the town centre between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

The wonderful lands will include Candy Cane World, Gingerbread World, Winter World, Magic World and Dr Octopodulus’s Advice Surgery - all Christmas and wellbeing queries welcome.