Llangollen is gearing up for its biggest festive celebration yet with thousands of expected to pack the town for its spectacular Christmas Festival.
The annual event, returning on Saturday, November 29, promises a day bursting with Yule Tide cheer, from a colourful parade and bustling street stalls to live music and a fireworks finale lighting up the sky above Dinas Bran castle.
This year’s fireworks display, sponsored by the Wild Pheasant Hotel & Spa, will crown what organisers say is shaping up to be the busiest festival in its 16-year history, drawing in visitors from across North Wales, Cheshire and beyond.
The VIP guest of honour will be the man of the moment, Sion Corn aka Father Christmas.
According to festival chair Cllr Paul Keddie, the celebration was powered by community spirit and local support.
Cllr Keddie said “The event was the brainchild of the late town clerk, Ian Parry, and the Town Crier, Austin Cheminais and has grown to become the highlight of the winter season in Llangollen.
“We’re expecting record crowds of up to 4,000 to enjoy a festive day crowned by a fireworks show provided courtesy of The Wild Pheasant Hotel.
“It’s always very well supported by local businesses and traders and attracts people from across North Wales and Cheshire and as far afield as Yorkshire.
“The day’s events kick off with a parade of local organisations and supporters, led by none other than Wales’s very own Father Christmas, Sion Corn, in his traditional green outfit.
“It starts from the Llangollen International Eisteddfod field at 1pm and proceeds into the town where the streets will be closed off and will be filled with stalls and it finishes at the Town Hall where there is a grotto which is free and is where Sion Corn meets the children.
“The Christmas Festival has become an integral part of Llangollen’s winter season and is run by an enthusiastic group of volunteers, this year in partnership with the Llangollen Festival Fringe.
“It’s a very good example of local people, organisations and businesses coming together to support the town.”
Becky Shields, Manager of the Wild Pheasant Hotel, said: “This is the third year that the Wild Pheasant and Everbright Hotels have supported the Christmas Festival.
“Our staff are all local and many of them walk to work so our roots are very much in the town and it is important that businesses like our own play their part in the life of the local community.
“That’s certainly the philosophy of Everbright Hotels and it is something we are happy to play a leading role in by sponsoring the fireworks display.
“I’d also like to thank Brian Davies from Festival Fireworks in Cefn Mawr who will be providing the display during the festival. He always does a brilliant job and he also very kindly supplied a snow machine so we could get into the festive spirit for the photoshoot.”
Paul Keddie added: “The Festival is very grateful for the support of The Wild Pheasant and the many other local businesses for an event which really brings the town together and which raises money for the North Wales Air Ambulance.”
It’s also a big year for the Everbright Hotels Group which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The Everbright story started in 2015 when it took over the Rossett Hall Hotel in Rossett, near Wrexham.
Since then it has also added the Llandudno Bay Hotel and the Belmont Hotel in Llandudno and the Wild Pheasant Hotel & Spa n, along with Stonecross Manor in Kendal in the Lake District and The George Hotel in Penrith to its portfolio.
Around 300 people are currently employed across all the sites and they’re expecting staff numbers to rise to approximately 400 over the next few years.
