Christmas in Corby - here's what you have to look forward to

It looks like it's going to be a very merry Christmas in Corby as a bumper festive season of events gets under way.

In partnership with Corby Town Council and thanks in part to a £312,000 Government grant handed to North Northamptonshire Council from the post-pandemic Welcome Back to the High Street fund, there will be a sparkling array of fun events in the town centre throughout the Christmas period.

Visitors to Corby will be able to enjoy the town centre’s biggest ever Christmas events programme, including Santa’s arrival with real reindeer and giveaways, free craft workshops, festive walkabout characters, live music and a pop-up Christmas market with bar and street food stalls.

There will be the usual Christmas trees and decorations throughout the town centre and, taking pride of place in Corporation Street, will be a giant illuminated ‘Happy Santa’, as well as a snow family in Willow Place – perfect for a seasonal selfie shot!

The events programme commences with Lakelands Hospice’s Light Up A Light service in Willow Place at 6.30pm on Thursday, November 25, where participants can remember a loved one by making a dedication for them in the form of a shining light on the giant Christmas tree. The short service will include poignant readings, Christmas carols and the reading out of loved ones’ names from the Lakelands Hospice book of remembrance.

Santa will be arriving at 11am on Sunday, December 5, along with his sleigh and real reindeer before setting up home in his grotto in Queens Square, open on some weekends in the run-up to Christmas. Admission is £2.50 and includes an age-appropriate gift. Please check the website for dates. No booking is required.

Free craft workshops will operate on a walk-in basis and will run on Sundays from November 28 to December 19 from 11am. The venue will be the former Yours store unit in Corporation Street and workshops include Christmas mosaics (booking is required for this 45-minute workshop) and non-booking workshops for ceramic decoration, mini textile wreaths and Christmas crackers. Further details are available online.

Saturday visitors will be in for a few surprises too with a cast of colourful walkabout characters and street performers as well as live music performances.

On Saturday, December 11, from 1pm-2pm, everyone is invited to join in the community carols organised by Hope Church outside McDonald’s in Corporation Street and there will be a Christmas pop-up bar and market on Corby Boardwalk, the town centre’s new decked entertainment space in Market Walk. Here, visitors can enjoy festive food, drink and entertainment as well as a mini Christmas Market across various dates from December 18 to 30.

There will also be the opportunity to win some great prizes in the Advent gift giveaway competition running every day from 1–24 December. Again, full details will be found on the town centre website as well as its Facebook page.

Shops will be open until 8pm on Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 December.