Dark nights ahead but no end of fun in Darlington
Summer may be over but there’s still lots of fun events and activities for the whole family to look forward to as we head into the autumn and winter months.
Foodies will love the Continental Market which returns for four days 9-12 October, filling the Market Square with delicious foods and produce from around the world.
The town centre will host a special lantern parade on Saturday 26 October, to celebrate Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights and there will be activities and crafts programmed throughout the day.
Visitors to the town centre, young and old, will be encouraged to get into the spirit of Halloween and get dressed up to discover devilish Darlington with creepy characters haunting the town centre on Thursday 31 October. There will also be meet and greet appearances, as well as children’s activities and safe ‘trick or treating’ in the Queen Street Shopping Centre.
Then it’s time to get started on the run-up to the festive season, as we host the Christmas Lights Switch On in the Market Square on Sunday 17 November. There will be fun and music on the main stage, with Santa himself on hand to press the button to switch on the lights, which will be followed by a two-minutes firework display. There will also be an accessible viewing area for wheelchair users.
The ever -popular Ice Sculpture Trail will be returning on Saturday 7 December with sculptures at various locations around the town centre. Maps will be available at each location and there will be lots of free competitions to win some great prizes.
And Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to the panto! Sleeping Beauty will be at Darlington Hippodrome 6-31 December, starring singer, TV actor and musical theatre star Lee Mead, Hi-de-Hi favourite and panto legend Su Pollard, panto comic Josh Benson and fabulous dame, Jamie Jones.
Cllr Libby McCollom, cabinet member for local services, said: “We had a great summer events programme that brought tens of thousands of people together in the town centre to enjoy all Darlington has to offer.
“Our events team, partners and sponsors did an amazing job, and there’s still more to come in the months ahead – so come along and join in the fun.”
There’s also a whole host of events and activities on offer at Hopetown, Darlington Hippodrome, The Hullabaloo, Darlington Libraries and the Dolphin Centre, so do look out for them on social media or head over to their respective websites for details.
Keep up to date with events in Darlington by following @darlingtonboroughcouncil on Facebook or by visiting www.enjoydarlington.co.uk or www.darlington.gov.uk/events