Christmas comes to Northampton town centre with a packed programme of festive family fun

Northampton town centre is embracing the festive spirit this Christmas with the return of the popular Golden Ticket Prize Draw and Santa’s Grotto, alongside new activities designed to encourage families to explore, shop and celebrate locally.

Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District has put together a packed programme of activities designed to create a welcoming Christmas experience for residents, families and visitors.

From the chance to win a share of £2,000 in town centre vouchers to visits with Santa, an interactive Christmas trail and celebrations of independent businesses, there will be plenty of reasons to visit Northampton in the run-up to Christmas.

The programme will complement Winterfest, led by West Northamptonshire Council, and Northampton Town Council’s Victorian-themed Christmas activities, helping to create a joined-up programme of festive entertainment across the town centre for families to enjoy.

Mark Mullen, Chief Operations Officer at Northampton BID, said: “Christmas is a really important time for our town centre businesses, and we want to give people even more reasons to come into Northampton, spend time together and enjoy everything the town has to offer.

“By bringing our activities together with Winterfest and the Town Council’s Victorian-themed celebrations, we can create a fantastic festive atmosphere for families while encouraging people to discover our independent businesses, enjoy our shops and hospitality venues, and support the local economy.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming people into town and making Northampton a destination for Christmas shopping, family days out and festive celebrations.”

The BID’s Christmas programme launches on Sunday 1 November, at Northampton Town Council’s fireworks event, with the return of its popular Golden Ticket Prize Draw, sponsored by Costa Coffee Northampton.

Visitors will have the chance to win a share of £2,000 in Northampton town centre vouchers by collecting tickets from participating businesses. Entries will be open until Sunday 13 December, with the winners announced on Tuesday 15 December. The prize draw is designed to reward visitors while encouraging people to shop locally and discover the range of businesses on their doorstep.

Families can also look forward to the return of Santa’s Grotto, which opens in the Upper Mall of Grosvenor Shopping Northampton on Saturday 21 November, coinciding with the town’s Christmas light switch-on. The grotto will be open at weekends in the run-up to Christmas, as well as on 21, 22 and 23 December.

The grotto will be built by construction students from Northampton College, while gift bags have been provided by Northampton Town Council.

Visits cost just £2 per family, with all proceeds donated to a local charity. Advance booking is available at discovernorthampton.co.uk/christmas/santas-grotto.

Other highlights include Small Business Saturday on Saturday 5 December, celebrating Northampton’s independent businesses and the contribution they make to the town centre. A new interactive Vicinity Christmas Trail will encourage visitors to explore Northampton.

Together with Winterfest and the Town Council’s Victorian-themed Christmas activities, the programme will offer families a variety of ways to enjoy the town centre throughout the festive season.

Northampton BID is also inviting local businesses to get involved. Businesses interested in participating in the Golden Ticket Prize Draw, obtaining Santa’s Grotto promotional packs, taking part in the Christmas radio initiative, or promoting their own festive events and offers can contact info@northamptonbid.co.uk.

Further information and updates on Northampton BID’s Christmas programme are available at www.discovernorthampton.co.uk/christmas, with additional news shared through the BID’s weekly newsletter.