In: Holt
14th November 2013
Christmas Events in North Norfolk
The festive season is beginning to ramp up in North Norfolk. Lights are being strung up in local the towns, the shops are playing festive music and are stocked up with Christmas decorations, gifts and lots of delicious food.
We’re buzzing with the anticipation of a busy Christmas period and we have guests visiting so they can do their Christmas shopping. Our local towns are full of boutique shops with beautiful gifts to suit everyone.
We’re buzzing with the anticipation of a busy Christmas period and we have guests visiting so they can do their Christmas shopping. Our local towns are full of boutique shops with beautiful gifts to suit everyone.
We offer short breaks over during November and December, giving you the opportunity to enjoy a break away and stock up on gifts and seasonal goodies. And if shopping isn’t your thing, there are still a number of Christmas events planned that will definitely get you in the festive mood. From Christmas lights being switched, spectacular Christmas Shows to special Santa steam train rides, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
20th November 2013
Holt becomes a winter wonderland when thousands of white fairy lights glisten over the over Georgian buildings. Join in on the festivities where there will be street entertainment, food and shopping before the lights switch on with a firework display. The Christmas lights will sparkle in Holt until 5th January.
Lights Switched on 6.45pm, festivities start from 5.30pm
Burnham Market
23rd November
4pm – 8pm
This year’s Christmas lights will be switched on by the ex Norwich City Footballer and local celebrity, Darren Huckerby. In addition to this, Burnham Market will host a Traditional Christmas Market between 4pm – 8pm.
There will be over 25 art, craft and gift stalls to peruse around with gifts including jewellery, soft furnishings, artisan chocolates, Christmas wreaths and much more available to buy. Whilst you wander around the stalls you’ll have the opportunity to listen to carol singing, a brass band, Nelson’s Shantymen and a local live cover band playing on the Fairstead Green.
Father Christmas will make a special appearance for the children and there will be lots of activities including ‘Pin the Nose on the Reindeer’ to keep the children occupied.
There will also be lots of tasty food stalls where you can enjoy an array of foods including a hog roast, mulled wine, mince pies, Crepes and much, much more.
Fakenham Parish Church
28th Nov – 5th Dec
10am – 8pm
Fakenham Church hosts a very special Charity fundraiser with 90 decorated trees all trimmed and lit for over 80 selected charities. This event is free, but we recommend you take a bag of coins so you can donate a few pennies to your favourite charity trees. Last year over £22,000 was raised for charities including local schools, nurseries and the British Heart Foundation. There is also a Christmas Market selling items such as Christmas cakes and cards. Food and refreshments including light lunches and homemade cakes will also be available to buy throughout the festival.
North Norfolk Railway
1st – 24th December
Enjoy a steam train ride to visit Santa in his magical wonderland. Special services will run between the 1st – 24thDecember where you can take scenic train ride from Sheringham Station through to Weybourne Station, to find Santa waiting by an open fire to give the children a warm welcome and to ask that all important question of what they would like this year for Christmas.
Adults get to enjoy sherry and mince pies during the train ride whilst children receive a biscuit and soft drink.
Booking is recommended for this unique and wonderful North Norfolk Christmas experience.
Holkham Hall
7th & 8th, 14th& 15th December
Christmas this year at Holkham Hall will be a wonderful sight! See the magnificent state rooms beautifully decorated in traditional Victorian style, complete with handmade decorations, real greenery from the park and candle light. A visit to see Father Christmas in our new grotto will be pure magic for the children.
Burnham Deepdale
7th & 8th December
The Deepdale Christmas Market has over 70 stalls, along with entertainment and activities. It’s the perfect place to stock up on Christmas presents, decorations and local food and drink. The weekend will be full of seasonal cheer and guarantees to set you in the festive mood for the big day itself.
Felbrigg Hall
15th December
11 – 3pm
A small number of select food and gift stalls will be at Felbrigg Hall on Sunday 15 December. Take the opportunity to do some last minute Christmas shopping and buy some gifts and goodies.
25th December
Hunstanton
For all the brave people out there, how about taking a plunge in the sea on Christmas day?
The Hunstanton Christmas Swim has now been going for over 50 years and over recent years we’ve seen record crowds watching and participating. The event raises funds for the Round Table which help to support many local good causes.
If you fancy it, you may want to think about doing it in fancy dress as there’s the opportunity to win £25 for the best dressed individual or £100 for the best group. What bizarre outfits can you think to wear?!
King’s Lynn Corn Exchange
6th – 31st December
This year’s panto is the fairytale story Beauty and the Beast, and stars Darren Day as the Beast himself.
In good old fashioned panto style, there’s a baddie to boo, the goodies with their hilarious gags and a heroine in need of being rescued. This is a rip roaring adventure full of fun and live music. True Christmas entertainment at its best!
Theatre Royal Norwich
17th December – 19th January
This year’s festive extravaganza is the most popular panto of them all – Cinderella.
There will be magic, comedy, audience participation and fun along with music and dancing to enjoy. This traditional panto will be a delight for all the family.
The all-star cast includes Shelia Ferguson (The Three Degrees) as Fairy Godmother, Christopher Ryan (The Young Ones, Absolutely Fabulous) as Baron Hardup, Matt Milburn (Hollyoaks) as Prince Charming, and Richard Gauntlett as Buttons.
UNDER THREEs FREE
9th November – 23rd December 2013
The Thursford Christmas Spectacular is the largest Christmas Show in England and is a magical experience. The show starts on the 9th November and runs until the 23rd December. Booking is essential as it’s a hugely popular event, people travel from all over the country to see it. It is well worth treating yourself and loved ones to a long weekend in Norfolk to attend this spectacular show…… and a great excuse to get into the festive spirit!
3rd October 2013
Autumn Half Term Fun
After a very busy summer period, September seemed to pass us by in flash, now it’s the beginning of October it means that the half term hols aren’t very far away. Halloween falls over the half term period this year so we thought we’d share some of the spooktacular events that are taking place in North Norfolk for families to enjoy!
Take a spooky self-guided trail around the nature reserve, playing games and learning about the local history and natural world at this time of year. Also explore the brand new WildRootz adventure play area where there’s over 30 individual pieces of play equipment to play with and enjoy.
Creep through the bygone museum trying to avoid the spiders and creepy crawlies to find mad scientists at work creating spells and potions. Get involved in the weird and wonderful craft making and you can take home a spine-chilling memento.
Visit our walled garden to take a creepy spider hunt, you will also have the opportunity discover lots of spooky facts about these eight legged creatures.
There will be a daily fancy dress parade in the courtyard so make sure you come dressed up for the occasion, gory face painting and carving pumpkins will also be taking place too.
Are you brave enough to ride on the ghost train? Take a daring trip on the North Norfolk railway over half term and you’ll be in for a treat and a few tricks too!
For an extra spooky experience, stop off at Weybourne Station and enter the spook-laden Halloween Hall, a hellish haunt of witches, warlocks and shuddering spiders……. It’s not for the faint hearted!
This magical and enchanting event will celebrate the Halloween festivities with an array of workshops and activities to entertain children and parents alike.
Children will have the opportunity to make a magic wand, a witches pet (a bat!), a wizard shield, a magic potion or a witches messenger (an owl!) in one of the bookable workshops.
There are plenty of other free activities including a walk through the woods to discover the magical power of trees and children can also help make the fairy banquet or some special brew in the witches’ kitchen.
Ghostly Gressenhall
30th & 31st October
http://events.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/public_events.aspx?page=1&event_venue_id=2
30th & 31st October
http://events.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/public_events.aspx?page=1&event_venue_id=2
Don your Halloween costumes and prepare for a spooky evening at Gressenhall where there will be plenty of activities to get involved with.
Help track down a howling hound that’s on the loose and take a ghostly tour of the workhouse. There’s also a shadow puppet show to enjoy, face painting and lots of arts activities to get involved in too.
AND A LITTLE FURTHER AFIELD…..
PrimEVIL
Dinosaur Park, Lenwade
25th October – 2nd November
www.primevil-scare.com
PrimEVIL
Dinosaur Park, Lenwade
25th October – 2nd November
www.primevil-scare.com
Head to Norfolk’s biggest Halloween experience and enjoy 5 frightening attractions including the screaming woods and the maze of mutants! Take the opportunity to carve your very own pumpkin and get up close and personal with an array of creepy crawlies if you dare!
BeWILDerwood will be feeling a little spooky over half term week so come dressed up in your best Halloween gear and take the opportunity to build your own lantern and join in with Snagglefang’s end-of-day Luminous Lantern Parade – it’s a magical way to finish the season!
18th July 2013
Summer fun in North Norfolk
It won’t be long until the schools break up for the summer meaning it gets busier than ever in North Norfolk and we are hoping that the warm, sunny weather we are currently experiencing is set to stay for the holiday season.
We always boast about how lucky we are to be in such a beautiful part of the UK, North Norfolk really is a unique place to live and seems to have something for everyone to enjoy. Our unspoilt, golden beaches are a great retreat on hot sunny days. There’s nothing better than packing up a hearty picnic full of delicious local produce and spending the day with the family, swimming in the sea, building sandcastles, flying kites and exploring the coastline. If sand and sea isn’t your thing, then we have some great open parks to also stroll around and picnic at. There are also plenty of quaint market towns and villages to visit, all of which are full of fabulous shops and places to eat too.
On top of all of this, there are plenty of attractions to visit from famous stately homes such as Sandringham and Holkham Hall, to unspoilt nature reserves where you can learn about the fantastic wildlife that makes North Norfolk its home in the summer. There are also several places to take the children for a packed day of entertainment and fun too. Our fantastic new interactive map on our website highlights some of the great places to visit in the area.
We can’t also forget all of the exciting events taking place over the next few weeks, from carnivals and craft fairs to children’s activity weeks. You really are spoilt for choice. The most stressful part of your holiday this year will be deciding on what to do first!
JULY
11th – 27th
Fakenham Arts Biennial
Fakenham Arts Biennial
27th July – 1stSeptember
Curious Crocklebog Capers
BeWILDerwood
www.bewilderwood.co.uk/plan-your-visit/events/curious-crocklebog-capers-2013
Curious Crocklebog Capers
BeWILDerwood
www.bewilderwood.co.uk/plan-your-visit/events/curious-crocklebog-capers-2013
10th – 11th
Charity Lego Weekend to raise funds for the East Anglian Air Ambulance
Holt Hall
www.holthall.norfolkedunet.gov.uk/events.html
Charity Lego Weekend to raise funds for the East Anglian Air Ambulance
Holt Hall
www.holthall.norfolkedunet.gov.uk/events.html
10th – 18th
Bug Week at the Dinosaur Adventure Park
Lenwade, Norwich
www.dinosauradventure.co.uk/general-information/events.php
Bug Week at the Dinosaur Adventure Park
Lenwade, Norwich
www.dinosauradventure.co.uk/general-information/events.php
24th
Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
Holkham Hall
www.holkham.co.uk/html/concerts_park_2013.html
Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
Holkham Hall
www.holkham.co.uk/html/concerts_park_2013.html
31st August – 1stSeptember
North Norfolk Food & Drink Festival
Holkham Hall
www.northnorfolkfoodfestival.co.uk/
North Norfolk Food & Drink Festival
Holkham Hall
www.northnorfolkfoodfestival.co.uk/