Festive fun at St Mary's Church in Warwick

The church will be hosting various events over the next few weeks to celebrate the festive period.

The Christmas celebrations will kick off with the return of the annual Christmas Tree festival.

The festival, which is now in its fourth year, will see groups, organisations and charities decorating Christmas trees.

St Mary’s Church Christmas Tree Festival opens on Victorian Evening, which will be on November 30, and will run until December 10.

Visitors can vote for their favourite tree and be entered into a prize draw.

Admission on Victorian Evening will be 50p per adult and free for children and after November 30 admission for adults costs £1 and will remain free for children.

There will also be a variety of entertainment at the church during the eventing including Hand Bell ringing, mulled wine, mince pies, craft stalls and a short carol service.

Vaughan Roberts, vicar at St Mary’s Church, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be having another Christmas Tree Festival.

“Every year it just brings so much life and vibrancy into the church.

“It’s a great was to connect with the local community and great to have different organisations coming in and dressing the trees.

“People come from far and wide for the festival and we often meet new faces as well as seeing the familiar ones.”

As well as the festival there will also be other Christmas events at the church, including local school choirs singing Christmas songs on December 1.

It will be a free concert and starts at 10am. There will also be refreshments available on the day from the pop-up cafe.

The Pop Up Cafe will be running on the Friday and Saturday of both weekends during the Christmas Tree Festival from 10am to 4pm.

On December 2 there will be a Christmas charity concert in aid of Rufus’ Friends’ Fund, which will be performed by the Gentlemen of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, Hampton Court at 6pm.

Tickets cost £15 and are available by calling 01926 257965 or online at Eventbrite by searching St Mary’s Church.

On December 9 Father Christmas will be visiting the Christmas Tree Festival at 11am.

On the same day residents and visitors are also being invited to have tea and cake with Warwick Mayor, Stephen Cross, at 11am.

The ‘Da Capo’ choir will also be singing on the same day at 11am and 1pm and at 2pm the Guild of Bell Ringer’s carol service will take place.

In the evening of December 9 there will be a Carols and Canapés Concert at 7.30pm, where Christmas music will be sung by Scholars followed by mulled wine and food supplied by ‘Clara’s kitchen’.

Tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought from St Mary’s gift shop and online at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/