For the first time ever, Halifax will launch its popular Christmas programme with a spectacular Christmas Parade set to wow the crowds and start the festive season with a bang!
Expectations are rightly high because the family-friendly event will be created and choreographed by Calderdale’s Handmade Productions: the creative specialists behind the now legendary annual Handmade Parade in nearby Hebden Bridge, which attracts an audience of thousands. Creative details of the Halifax Christmas Parade are still under wraps, but organisers are promising a fun, spectacular and unforgettable carnival-style parade, perfect for children and adults. A Christmas event like nothing they will have seen before.
The parade takes place on Saturday November 18th and has been commissioned and coordinated by Discover Halifax: the non-profit organisation responsible for supporting the local economy by attracting people into town. It has successfully won Arts Council funding to help pay for the event, which fits nicely into its 2023 campaign message, You Can Do It All in Halifax. Discover Halifax has also helped pay for the Christmas Parade from its own finances, which are earmarked for initiatives that help Halifax businesses thrive.
Discover Halifax’s project manager, Chloe McNeill explained, “Our previous Christmas Switch-on events were always very popular, but because they were static, they didn’t reach as many people as we’re expecting the parade to. Handmade Productions are seasoned experts at this kind of moving event and their artistic, practical and logistical skills promise to make this an incredible festive event with a massive wow factor. One not to be missed!”
The exact route and details of the Christmas Parade are yet to be made public, but Discover Halifax is running busy publicity, PR and social media campaigns to keep residents and visitors up to date as new details emerge, with daily online posts to share information. Nearer the time, star-shaped stickers will be displayed on all businesses lining the route, and local and regional media teams will be briefed to help them cover the show.
Chloe explained, “You Can Do It All in Halifax really emphasises the fantastic variety of experiences and events on offer in our town this year, and the Christmas Parade is a perfect example. This is the kind of event people will want to mark on their calendars and visit the town centre for, so we’re putting a huge amount of energy into publicising it well and sharing the details people will need for making plans. People can visit us online, follow our various social media accounts or call in at our Hub in Woolshops to get all the latest information. Nothing quite like this has been done here before, and we’re expecting the public’s support and enthusiasm to be massive. The great thing is that this will only add to the event’s overall success!”
The all-new Christmas Parade will mark the launch of a whole programme of Christmas events and festive favourites taking place across Halifax in the run-up to Christmas Day. These include competitions, gifting trees, Christmas elves, ticket and chocolate giveaways, a Christmas Tree Festival, a Letter to Santa, upgraded Christmas lights, beautiful fairy lights in shop windows, and the production of a special Christmas story for the town. There will be free performances by choirs and bands throughout town too, while a bigger police presence will make sure Halifax feels even more family-friendly.
By Ed Asquith courtesy of TopicUk