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This unmissable festive event in Cheltenham town centre and Montpellier on Thursday 5 December is guaranteed to put you in the mood for Christmas!
You can expect a night of festivities and a joyful atmosphere with carol singers, roaming panto characters, musicians and a Christmas magician performing on our tree lined Regency streets.
Bring the family to enjoy free Christmas movies under the stars and don’t forget to pop by to meet with a rather saucy Mother Christmas (aka Emma Monrose from Monrose Boutique) outside the House of Fraser. With shops open until 8pm why not tick a few presents off your Christmas gift list and then enjoy a festive tipple and meal in one of our many town centre restaurants or street food at the Christmas Market on The Promenade?
Read on for full details...
- Free car parking and free bus travel
Why not enjoy a mulled wine (or three!) There will be free bus travel on Stagecoach services and both park and ride sites as well as free parking in some car parks. All of these complimentary services will be available from 1pm. More details can be found here.
- What can you expect in shops? A summary of the best in-store festive activities
Independent and high street favourite shops will be joining in the festive fun by running various in store Christmas activities including –
John Lewis & Partners who will be hiding magical boxes in their store holding £10, £50 and £100 vouchers! Can you be the first to solve the clues and find them?
House of Fraser and The Wilson Art Gallery are both hosting a night of live music and festive activities....
Regent Arcade will have festive singers performing plus entertainers roaming around. The arcade is also the place to head to for charity wrapping station in aid of Maggie's Cheltenham.
Many stores including Oasis, Hotel Chocolat, Jack Wills and Warhammer are offering complimentary festive drinks and/or treats whilst shoppers browse. Some restaurants are offering special late night shopping meal deals including SOHO Coffee Co (2 brioche rolls for £10).
Beards Jewellers are holding watch and jewellery workshops so shoppers can enjoy their complimentary mulled wine and mince pies whilst chatting to the watch maker, goldsmith and jewellery designer.
White Stuff on The Promenade will be giving goodie bags for the first 50 customers spending £10+ after 5.30pm.Winston's Wish Bear will be present for photo opportunities along with a festive choir. There will also be a gin bar and mince pies in store and a ukulele band outside.
The new GL50 Restaurant (located in the former White Spoons building) will have mulled wine flowing from 5pm – 6.30pm, pop along and meet the owners of our newest dining establishment in town. In addition, Lumiere Restaurant will be offering the award winning head chef's famous infused milk & biscotti to any customers who pop by to purchase gift vouchers.
- What street entertainment can you expect? Highlights of the free festive fun on Thursday 5 December
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Entertainment will be taking place across the town at the following hot spots – Montpellier, Neptune’s Fountain, The Promenade, and The Brewery Quarter plus outside M&S, John Lewis and The Strand. Characters from Robinson Crusoe will also be roaming the town so don’t be surprised if you bump into pirates! A few unmissable highlights include…
5pm – 5.30pm/5.45pm – Live music on Montpellier Walk and Montpellier Street.
4.30pm – Under the stars screening of Home Alone in Montpellier Courtyard. (Free, admission on a first come first served basis).
5pm – 8pm – Family friendly entertainment on The Promenade including live music and Thomas Trilby the stilt walking juggler...
6pm – 8pm – Live performances at The Brewery Quarter by local children’s choir, Abigail Pearce (who came 2nd in the UK open mic championships) and Piano Hedgehog.
6pm – 9pm - Late-night shopping, festive food and drink, live music and entertainment including carols and Christmas Morris dancers at The Wilson Gallery.
6.30pm - Under the stars screening of Elf in Montpellier Courtyard. (Free, admission on a first come first served basis).
- Which high street chain stores and independent shops which will be open until 8pm?
The following stores will be open until 8pm. Please note, stores highlighted in blue are running special events, click on the link for more details…
John Lewis, Regent Arcade, House of Fraser, Boots, many of the shops in Montpellier and Montpellier Courtyard, Beards, Jack Wills, Oasis, Marks and Spencer, Beatrice von Tresckow Designs, Lakeland, Revival Cafe Bar, Showcase, Keith Scarrott, Goldsmiths, Laura Leigh Hair, Superdry, Everyman Barbers, Shoe Zone, Union Project, Lakeland, Dubarry Shoes, Neal’s Yard, Cologne and Cotton, Cousins, L'una Design, James of Montpellier, Roxtons, Caroline Charles, Poundland, Café Nero, Write Card, Fone World, New Look, Argos, Primark, White Stuff, Cousins, Lush, Hotel Chocolat, Warhammer Cheltenham, Triple 2, August Moon Tea, TokyoTattoo including a pop up Christmas store for Siblings Gin.
My Dentist, The Entertainer and Time Barbers will be open until 7pm.
This list will be updated as we continue to hear back from independent business owners.
- What other late night festive entertainment is taking place on Thursday 5 December?
Wishing to stay in town beyond 8pm? There are plenty of venues offering late night entertainment. Here are a few of our favourite events. Go check them out!
Jazz Club by Sara Colman, Smokey Joes. Doors open 7.15pm
Winter Wonderland Christmas Party on the Winter Terrace of the No. 131 from 6pm – 10pm.
Snowman themed afternoon tea at Café Rouge.
Christmas Pudding Club, Well Walk Team Room.
Swing Into Christmas with the Kim Cypher Band, Ivy Montpellier Brasserie, 8pm – 11pm.
Peter Gill's Christmas Comedy Songbook, Cheltenham Playhouse. 7.30pm – 10pm.
Parents Night Out! The Tavern, from 7.30pm.
Games Club, Sandford Park Alehouse. 7pm – 10pm.
- How can you take advantage of the free parking, buses and park & ride on offer?
Working with Cheltenham Borough Council and Stagecoach, Cheltenham BID have organised some generous travel incentives for our late night shopping event...
Free buses - Anyone making a journey on a Stagecoach bus within Cheltenham Borough Council boundaries or on the D and E services from Bishop’s Cleeve after 1pm on Thursday December 5th, will be able to travel free of charge. Park and Ride services from both Arle Court and Cheltenham Racecourse are included. The offer runs until midnight and includes all evening buses but excludes the 94 night buses. For more details visit - https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables
Free park & ride - The last park and ride for Arle Court will be later than usual and will run until at least 8pm. The last bus to the racecourse will be at 9pm. For more details visit - https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/transport/park-ride-gloucester-and-cheltenham/
Free parking – Available in Cheltenham Borough Council car parks and CitiPark (the John Lewis Car Park) both from 1pm until *midnight. (Please note some car parks close earlier, please see websites for closing times - www.cheltenham.gov.uk/parking and CitiPark at John Lewis.
We wish you a wonderful festive evening in Cheltenham on Thursday 5th December. Please do tag us in on social media @VisitCheltenham so we can see what you get up to!
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