This year, the Henley Christmas Festival will be spread over three days to help local shops and create a more inclusive festival.
The event traditionally takes place on the evening of the last Friday in November, with the Christmas lights switch-on and a children’s lantern parade.
That will still happen, but there will be extra activities and events over the weekend, all coming under one umbrella called “Henley at Christmas”.
The weekend will start on Friday, 25 November, with late night shopping from 5.00pm, stalls and fair attracting followed by the switching on of the lights on the giant Christmas tree in Market Place at 7.00pm and the parade. All finishing at 9.00pm.
A nutcracker trail will be launched on the Saturday to entice people into the shops. And on the Sunday, there will be a Craft Market in the Market Place from 9.00am to 3.00pm.
“This year we are looking at making it bigger and will hold it over three days. Friday we will have the lights switch-on and there will be activities in the town centre on Saturday and Sunday.”
—Laurie-Jane Cann, Town centre manager
Expect road closures to be in place from 3.00pm to 11.00pm on Bell Street, Duke Street, Friday Street and Market Place, and from noon to 11.00pm on Hart Street.
This year’s Santa Fun Run will take place on Sunday, 18 December. A record 200 runners took part in last year’s event, which featured a 1km and 4km route along the Thames towpath, starting and finishing at Leander Club.