Final preparations are being made for a highlight of Wokingham’s calendar – which will take place on Sunday.
Wokingham Lions Club will be bringing the free-to-attend Wokingham Winter Carnival to the town centre, providing a great way to start celebrating Christmas and the festive season.
The event benefits from major sponsorship from Wokingham Town Council and The Wokingham Society. This year it has additional support from Blandy & Blandy Solicitors, Trademark Windows, Wokingham United Charities, Clifton Ingram Solicitors and InstaGroup, as well as local charities First Days and Wokingham Men’s Shed.
Wokingham Lions Club would also like to thank the numerous groups and individuals for their help with manpower on the day.
Tim Hanton, chairman of the Winter Carnival is heading the team for a second year.
He said: ‘We are looking forward to providing a fantastic day for the residents of Wokingham, with great entertainment to kick off the Christmas season’.
The Winter Carnival is held throughout the town centre, including Denmark Street, Erftstadt Court, Market Place, Peach Street, Broad Street, Rose Street, Peach Place, and for the first time this year it will extend onto the hardstanding adjacent to Elms Field.
The official start is 11am, but stalls and rides will be open from 10:30am.
Wokingham Borough Council have waived parking charges for car parks for the event. Payment machines will still be active, but temporary signs will be out, so no-one needs to buy a ticket.
Santa has chosen the Elevate Centre for his grotto, and First Days children’s charity will be helping him. There is a booking system to reduce queues. A small charge applies.
More than 120 stalls have booked to be at the Carnival, including craft stalls, food stalls and charity stalls.
Wokingham Lions Club will distribute profits to this year’s major beneficiaries – Home-Start Wokingham District and Share Wokingham, as well as other local charities and good causes.
The day will culminate with the traditional switching on of the Christmas lights by the Town Mayor and mini Mayor, followed by St Sebastian’s Brass Band and Wokingham Singers leading community carols.
This will lead to a stunning laser show in Market Place at 5:00pm.
Timetable
Main Stage in Market Place
- 11am Official Opening
- 11.15am Bracknell Senior String Orchestra
- 11.50am Bracknell Children’s Choir, Bracknell Young Singers and Bracknell Contemporary Choir
- 12.20pm Bracknell Senior Wind Band
- 1.00pm No Strings Attached Ukulele Group
- 2.00pm Bracknell Intermediate Brass Band
- 2.30pm Wokingham Intermediate Brass Bank
- 3.00pm Wokingham Intermediate String Orchestra
- 3.30pm Bracknell Senior Brass Band
- 4.10pm Countdown to the Christmas lights switch on
- 4.15pm St Sebastian’s Wokingham brass band and Wokingham singers
- 4.45pm Community carols
- 5.00pm Laser show
- 5.30pm Fairground rides close
Peach Place
- 11.30am Morris dance display by Customs & Exiles, Fools Gambit and OBJ
- 12.15pm Musical Ruth and friends cause merry mayhem
- 1.00pm Rock choir Wokingham
- 2.00pm Dance displays by Berkshire Bedlam, Bulgarian folk dancers and Taeppas Tump morris dancers
- 3.00pm The Reading Scottish Pipe Band
- 3.30pm Mix & Mingle entertainment, Musical Ruth, jugglers and stilt walkers
Denmark Street and Erfstadt Court
- Noon R & R Fisher vintage barrel organ
- 12.40pm Ziggy, the friendly dinosaur
- 1.15pm Mix & Mingle walkabout street entertainment
- 2.00pm Dance displays by Berkshire Bedlam, Bulgarian folk dancers and Taeppas Tump morris dancers
- 2.30pm Electric Cabaret mime artist
- 3.15pm Street entertainers. Zig Zag Walkabout and friendly dinosaur
Elms Field and Elms Walk
- 11.15am Morris dance displays by Berkshire Bedlam and Taeppas Tump
- 11.30am Morris dance displays by Customs & Exiles, Fools Gambit and OBJ
- 1.30pm Reading Scottish Pipe band display
- 3.00pm Morris dance displays by OBJ, Fools Gambit and Taeppas Tump
- 3.40pm Morris dance displays by Berkshire Bedlam and Customs & Exiles
- 5.30pm Fairground rides close
