News releases

Love Basingstoke Makes Christmas this year

Lots of free family activities to help make Christmas and have festive fun are on offer from Love Basingstoke in December, together with a chance to buy locally produced gifts and food. 
 
The Borough Basket Street Market will return on Saturday 3 December and Saturday 10 December as a special Christmas indoor pop-up shop on the upper level of Festival Place. This is a great opportunity to support local businesses and browse a selection of different gifts and produce from local makers, creators and crafters.
 
Between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 3 December on the upper level of Festival Place, residents can join Junk Jodie to make Christmas decorations from reused materials.
 
Lego fans will be able to create festive builds at the ‘It’s BRICKSmas in Basingstoke’ event with The Brick People on Saturday 3 and Saturday 10 December, 11am to 3pm, in Cross Street, Basingstoke.
 
For those residents and visitors feeling crafty, there are lots of free workshops to get involved in. On Saturday 10 December they can make a festive wreath with Morwenna Catt in the Gabardine Bar from 11am and 2pm. There will be a chance to make a gift for someone special with local vegan-friendly cosmetics company See Scents on Monday 19 December in Willows Coffee House. On Tuesday 20 December artist Laura Wilcox will be running a willow star workshop from Willows Coffee House at 9am and 10.30am. Also on Tuesday 20 December local artists Rachel Davis and Jacky Purtill will be showing how to make a Scandi landscape as a gift or home decoration. They will be at Gabardine Bar with sessions at 11am, 12noon, 1pm, and 2pm. Places are limited for all the workshops places and so must be booked by emailing towncentre@basingstoke.gov.uk.
 
There will also be entertainment in Basingstoke town centre, including a modern take on the Nativity, with Joseph, heavily pregnant Mary and their donkey looking for a safe place to have their baby across the Top of the Town on Saturday 3 December at 12.30pm and 2pm. On Saturday 10 December, from 11am to 3pm in London Street, visitors can catch the magical elf car zipping around the Top of the Town and get a chance to FaceTime Santa or send him a letter from a magical letter box. Local theatre company Scratchbuilt Productions will be telling a brand new tale asking who is going to pull Santa’s sleigh across Basingstoke on Saturday 10 December in the upper level of Festival Place from 5pm to 7pm, with the story told every 15 mins.
 
Town centre visitors will be able to see 40 wooden Christmas trees, made by the Basingstoke Shed and decorated by schools and community groups, on display in the upper level of Festival Place on Saturday 3 December and Saturday 10 December. After this, the trees will be displayed across Basingstoke and Deane.
 
Working with several local community organisations artist Louise Height has transformed the Queen’s Sheep, made as part of the jubilee celebrations, into reindeer. There is still a sheep in need of some Christmas magic to turn it into a reindeer so families will be invited to join Louise at the Willis Museum on Saturday 10 December to take part in a workshop decorating it. The reindeer will be displayed in Festival Place on Saturday 3 December and Saturday 10 December, moving after that to trail locations throughout the Top of the Town promoted on @LoveBasingstoke social media.
 
Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr Simon Bound said: “We are delighted to present a fantastic range of free activities and entertainment for people of all ages in the Top of the Town throughout the festive period. There is something for everyone, with arts and crafts, festive performances and a fantastic range of small businesses to support when shopping for your Christmas gifts. Visiting the town centre this December will really get you in the festive spirit.”
 
For more information and the latest updates on all the festive activities visit www.LoveBasingstoke.co.uk and follow @LoveBasingstoke on Facebook and Twitter.