by Sam Hawcroft
Withernsea’s Christmas celebrations are set to spread across the town centre this year, with road closures, a festive market and the return of a real Christmas tree as part of an expanded Dickensian event.
Mayor Cllr Kristina Richardson has outlined plans for Saturday, December 5, when Queen Street and Memorial Avenue will close to through traffic for a day of entertainment culminating in the lights switch-on at 5pm.
The event will run from 10am, with an emphasis on walkabout entertainment encouraging people to explore the town, visit its shops and take part in activities across several locations.
The plans follow years of debate about the location and format of Withernsea’s Christmas celebrations, with many residents calling for a return to the evening street events they remember from years past.
The move from Queen Street to Valley Gardens prompted concerns about the effect on high street businesses. In 2022, more than 500 people backed Queen Street as the venue in an informal Facebook poll. However, the council cited access and traffic management concerns, while also facing the cost of replacing ageing lights and electrical infrastructure.
A £50,000 contribution from Withernsea Big Local funded a new lighting scheme in 2023, including work to replace the old electrical infrastructure. Valley Gardens remained the setting for the main event, and the debate continued, with the council defending the project and the efforts of its staff and volunteers.
Comparisons have regularly been made with Hedon and Hornsea, where evening celebrations with town-centre road closures draw big crowds.
Explaining the decision to hold this year’s main event during the day, Cllr Richardson said the aim was to support businesses during their normal opening hours and create a broader festive programme.
She said last year’s Dickensian event in Valley Gardens had been dark and wet, which had affected footfall. Evening events also meant shops faced the prospect of opening extra hours to take part.
Holding activities during the day would allow more businesses to benefit, she said, while spreading entertainment across the centre would help connect the different areas.
She also believed people would be more likely to venture out in daylight even if the weather was poor, and that lighter hours made it easier to attract festive market traders to a rural location.
Cllr Richardson said: “It’s just what seemed the best with the opportunities and resources available.
“If learning from this year points back to just a switch-on then we’ll adapt and aim for that next year.”
The programme will include a traditional fair in Queen Street and a festive market with more than 40 stalls lined up.
Stilt walkers, music, choirs and Christmas crafts are among the activities being planned, with the focus on entertainment that encourages visitors to move around the town.
The Meridian Centre will host Christmas films, music and a historical exhibition from the Withernsea Riff Raff project, with The Grinch among the planned screenings.
The main outdoor activities will finish after the 5pm lights switch-on.
Families will then be able to head to a later screening of The Polar Express at the Meridian Centre, with free hot chocolate, while visitors wishing to stay out will be encouraged to support the town’s pubs.
Cllr Richardson said local businesses had been consulted about the road closures and professional traffic management would be in place, with essential access maintained where required.
She hopes the programme will encourage residents and visitors to spend the day in Withernsea, supporting businesses while helping to build an annual celebration that can develop over time.
She said: “Christmas is such a special time, and I’d love to help bring back some of the festive memories and traditions that people remember so fondly, while creating something new for future generations.
“For me, this isn’t about creating one big event and stopping there. It’s about learning from last year, taking positive steps forward and building something sustainable that can continue to grow.”
The festive programme will begin on Friday, November 27, with the remembrance tree event and Carols by Candlelight at St Nicholas Church, featuring Withernsea Ladies’ Choir.
Timings are still being finalised.
Acknowledging the strength of feeling about the town’s Christmas celebrations, Cllr Richardson added: “Christmas has always been a controversial topic of discussion and that probably won’t change. However, I’d love to see Withernsea become a place people look forward to visiting at Christmas again, and most importantly, somewhere our own community feels proud to celebrate.”
Further details and the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
