Escape to Devon this Christmas for a magical festive break of fun
Devon has Christmas all wrapped up this year with a host of magical seasonal events which promise to delight all members of the family and guarantee some Christmas cheer.
Rediscover the delights of Christmas with the Polar Express on Dartmoor or meet Santa amid the sparkling Christmas lights of a quintessential Devon fishing village, there is no better place than Devon to explore Christmas markets and enjoy the spirit of the festive season for an uplifting but relaxing winter break.
The Polar Express arrives in Devon for the first time this year, where pyjama clad passengers can climb aboard the Polar Express train at Okehampton Station to relive their memories of the Warner Bros film and the storybook by Chris Van Allsburg. The Polar Express train rides will arrive at the Dartmoor Railway from 19 November and children and families can see their favourite characters come to life as they are whisked away on a round trip to the North Pole!
During the journey, there will be a special reading of the Van Allsburg classic book along with a sing-song and a serving of delicious hot chocolate! At the North Pole, Santa will board the train to greet the children and he will give a special sleigh bell to those children who truly believe!
To book for the Polar Express please visit: ukpolarexpressride.com
On the last Friday of 30 November the delightful market town of Tavistock is transformed into a Dickensian wonderland. The streets are closed to traffic as shop keepers don Victorian dress and hand out mulled wine to shoppers amid the hullabaloo of live music, brass bands, fair ground rides, stilt walkers and jugglers. The shops stay open until 9pm and the event attracts thousands of eager Christmas shoppers keen to snap up a Christmas present in the unique atmosphere of this very special event. The evening coincides with the switch on of the Christmas lights at 5.45pm. For more details of places to visit or stay in the Dartmoor area please visit: dartmoor.co.uk
Devon is renowned for its superb shops and independent and artisan retailers and at Christmas the county is also host to a wide range of magical Christmas Markets.
For the first time the magnificent setting of Exeter's Cathedral Green will play host to a Christmas Craft market. The Cathedral Green, at the heart of the city centre, will be brought to life by the Market, with stalls offering unique, handmade and unusual gifts, decorations and food items - everything needed for a perfect Christmas celebration and to create a real Christmas buzz at the heart of the city. Although inspired by Continental Markets, the majority of traders on the Exeter Christmas Market will represent the best of what Britain and the South West region has to offer - with a mix of great food, excellent crafts, unique gifts and decorations.
The Market will run from Friday 23 November until Sunday 16 December. It will be open from 10am until 8pm on Monday to Wednesday, from 10am until 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and from 11am until 5pm on a Sunday.
Exeter Cathedral will be very much at the heart of Christmas in the city, with carols, nativity and many concerts during the festive season. On 8 December, this ancient Cathedral plays host to an evening of Christmas Jazz with the highly regarded Exeter Festival Chorus, Andy Williamson and the Big Buzzard Boogie Band and renowned jazz vocalist Jacqui Dankworth - daughter of the late jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and his wife singer Dame Cleo Laine. The evening's performance will feature legendary Duke Ellington's composition Sacred Concert. Besides this work, there'll be music with an international Christmas feel, and spots for the band, the choir and the audience.
For more details of this event and information about what to see and where to stay in the Heart of Devon please visit: heartofdevon.com
Father Christmas has a particularly busy festive season in Devon and one place where you will be guaranteed a sighting is at the quaint and pretty North Devon fishing village of Clovelly on Sunday 2 December. The event, which is in aid of the RNLI, begins with a local brass band leading a procession down the cobbled streets of the town to the harbour accompanied by Christmas carols sung by the Torridge Male Voice Choir. A delicious hog roast, punch and mince pies follow and Father Christmas makes a surprise visit. At about 5 pm a switch is thrown and the entire village and harbour are lit up followed by a grand finale of fireworks to finish off. The event begins at 3.30pm and there will be a small car parking charge which will be donated to the RNLI.
Take the stress out of food shopping for Christmas with a trip to one of North Devon's best known tourist attractions, the Big Sheep at Bideford. While the children have a ball, Mum and Dad can browse the Christmas Markets which the Big Sheep is hosting every Saturday in December in the lead up to Christmas. With a selection of locally produced cheeses, free range turkeys, Xmas cakes, seasonal delicacies, chutneys & a range of sumptuous foods there will be something to keep everyone happy.
For more details of these events and information about what to see and where to stay in North Devon please visit northdevon.com
At the other end of the county, Father Christmas will be arriving by boat in South Devon for the much loved community event which is known as Candlelight Dartmouth (30 November - 1 December). On Friday 30 November, Dartmouth prepares for the arrival of Santa with live music and carol singing around the town Christmas tree followed by the great switch on of the town Christmas lights (5.50pm). Santa then arrives by boat with an escort from the nearby Britannia Naval College. But one of the highlights of Candlelight Dartmouth has to be the procession of lanterns through the town on Saturday 1 December (5.30pm from the Old Market). Every year local primary schools host lantern-making workshops in the lead up to this keenly anticipated and unique event.
Trying to find a Christmas present for that difficult family member or friend isn't a problem for visitors to the Totnes Christmas Festival. The charming market and fiercely independent town of Totnes has become renowned for its Christmas Festival. It has a reputation for being ethical and environmentally aware so expect craft stalls with a more socially responsible take. Enjoy a slice of Christmas, Totnes-style, from rickshaw rides to fair trade goods, you will be inspired and entertained while exploring this historic town's market square which will be choc-full of gift and food stalls with carol singing, live music, dancing and children's events. The Festival will take place on the last three Tuesdays before Christmas 4, 11, 18 December 15.30 - 21.30.
Christmas would not be Christmas without a nativity and one of the best places to enjoy the magic of the nativity is at Pennywell Farm in South Devon. Pennywell Farm is transformed into a real winter?wonderland in time for the Nativity plays in December. Pennywell supplies the costumes and organises the whole direction, giving every child (and adult) the opportunity to dress up and star in the performance. They even manage to make sure the snowfalls at the end of each performance! After the play, every child meets Santa in his grotto and receives a present. Children can even meet Santa's reindeer, Dancer in the Pennywell Farmyard. The Nativity plays start on 1 December and run until Christmas Eve. For more details of this event and information about what to see and where to stay in South Devon please visit: visitsouthdevon.co.uk
Santa really spreads his magic everywhere this Christmas even underground in the spectacular setting of Kent's Cavern in Torquay. The Cavern is one of Europe's top prehistoric Stone Age caves with an extensive labyrinth of spectacular and easily accessible caverns. Enjoy a fun family adventure around Santa's underground grotto. There's also a great pantomime show around the decorated caverns with interactive "pie-making" and live "present-wrapping" and from 9 December 2012 each child (2-12) can meet Santa and receive a wrapped present. kents-cavern.co.uk
Of all the Christmas events Torquay hosts, the one that'll really give you that magical, Christmassy feeling is the Torquay Christmas Sparkle. Taking place in late November, the celebrations include street entertainers, the Christmas Lights Switch On, live music and a spectacular fireworks display. Christmas market stalls are in plentiful supply and there's even a visit from the big man himself, Father Christmas on 17 November.
And for more seasonal fun in South Devon, come to Brixham and join in the family celebrations at the switching on of the Brixham Christmas Lights. For those looking for gifts, the Brixham Christmas market is a must. Hosted under a marquee and warmed by the smells of mulled wine and roasting chestnuts, this is the place to sniff out those unique gifts that you won't find on the high street. There are over 40 stalls of food, arts, crafts, books, children's toys and one-off items. Lights Switch On 24 November. Christmas Market 24 and 25 November.
For more details of these events and information about what to see and where to stay in the English Riviera please visit: englishriviera.co.uk
Plymouth's historic Barbican area is hosting the Waterfront Christmas Lights Switch on 22 November. Panto veteran, Christopher Biggins and the Plymouth Military Wives Choir will be in attendance for this very special event.
Also the spirit of Christmas past will be conjured up in the Barbican in Plymouth for the whole of the month of December at a special photo exhibition hosted by South West Image. A photographic collection of the Barbican at Christmas will be on display at the historic cobbled waterfront outside the Tourist Information Centre.
For more details of this event and information about what to see and where to stay in Plymouth please visit: visitplymouth.co.uk
