Kenilworth Christmas Lights 2018 - all you need to know

Details of this year's Christmas lights switch-ons in Kenilworth have been announced following a successful revamp of the events last year.
Abbey End during last year's Christmas Lights switch-onAbbey End during last year's Christmas Lights switch-on
Abbey End during last year's Christmas Lights switch-on

The events will once again be held over one weekend - from Friday November 30 to Sunday December 2 - after the idea to do so last year proved successful.

High Street’s lights switch-on on Friday November 30 will largely stay the same as in previous years. It starts at 6.30pm.

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Saturday December 1 will see a Christmas market pop up in Talisman square from 10am to 4pm, although there will be no ice rink this year.

Instead, a giant ‘snowglobe’ will be installed for people to enter and have their photos taken.

A funfair with a helter-skelter and a carousel will be in the square, and Father Christmas will also be at the market on his sleigh.

Other activities on the Saturday include music and dancing, free face-painting and a variety of food and drink on sale.

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The market coincides with ‘Small Business Saturday’, and Kenilworth Chamber of Trade will be encouraging people to buy one Christmas present from retailers in Kenilworth as a way of supporting the town’s businesses.

And on Sunday December 2, Warwick Road’s lights will be switched on at 6.30pm. This year, the lights will be controlled by a digital timer to ensure they turn on and off when they are supposed to. The analogue timer used last year was more unreliable.

Miller Court and Whitemoor Road will have their own displays this year too, along with Oaks Precinct and Leyes Lane Precinct which were included in the display last year.

After a few complaints last year, the Christmas tree that used to be by the clock tower has been put up once again, and will be illuminated during the switch-on.

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And new this year will be a tree next to the war memorial at Abbey End, as a way of marking 100 years since the end of the First World War.

Kenilworth Town Councillor Richard Hales, who chairs the Kenilworth Lights Committee, hoped this year’s events would be successful.

He said: “This is about recognising what we did well last year, but also recognising people’s concerns as well - I don’t mind receiving comments from people about the lights.

“One of the big things from last year was bringing the tree back to the clock tower, which is what we’ve done.

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“But there’s only four of us on the committee and we’re all volunteers. We’re just trying to do our best for the town, and we’ve done everything we can to make the lights events even better than last year.”