Eastbourne gets ready for Christmas with festive events across the town

From November 30, the town centre will be filled with the colourful sights, sounds and festive spice aromas of a traditional Christmas Market, featuring 34 traditional wooden chalets, a Santa’s grotto and more than 80 hours of live entertainment.

Offering hand crafted gifts, jewellery, textiles and toys, foodie fans can also enjoy mouth-watering goodies from street food to festive home bakes, cheese bombs, mulled wine and a range of flavoured gins.

Keeping shoppers in the festive mood, entertainment includes choirs, musicians, dance groups, circus skills and even an entire pantomime performance, all ending with a Community Big Sing by Concentus on December 23.

Markets and all the fun of the fair continue across town with Meads Magic on November 30 and Motcombe Village Fair on December 1 (see page 26), while The Arndale shopping centre launches its interactive Nordic Winter Trail to meet Santa, every weekend in December (see page 24).

Cllr Margaret Bannister, Eastbourne Borough Council lead cabinet member for tourism and enterprise, said, “Eastbourne really will be alive with the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas this year, with a bustling town centre and much to explore nearby. Santa really will be kept busy here on the south coast.”

Nearby at Drusillas, the award-winning zoo will be turning on its animal themed Christmas Lights from November 17, featuring a magical ice-capped kingdom dazzling with 50,000 lights in a daily musical light show.

Running until December 23, animal fans will also have the opportunity to meet Santa’s reindeer and huskies on selected dates too. Breakfast with Santa returns to the Enterprise Centre with pancake decorating and more, while little ones can also begin their North Pole journey with the School of Elves at Knockhatch; both run every weekend from December 8 to 23.

Eastbourne’s panto starts on December 7. Cinderella will be at the Devonshire Park Theatre until January 13

For Christmas events visit www.visiteastbourne.com/christmas.