Ho ho... hold onto your hats for a Christmas spectacular

Oldham's Christmas Lights Switch-On will take place in Parliament Square this year as part of a Christmas spectacular in the town centre.

The switch-on will be the finale of five hours of Christmas entertainment and music across Oldham on Saturday 20th November, starting at midday.

As the evening sets in, guests attending the town centre should prepare to be wowed by a stunning fairy tale Christmas lights switch-on show created exclusively for Oldham.

Twinkle and the Magical Light Machine, created in partnership with Oldham Theatre Workshop, and Emergency Exit Arts will happen across multiple stages in Parliament Square.

After a difficult year, the people of the town aren’t feeling very festive, some have lost their Christmas Spirit. Christmas is under threat when the Christmas lights don’t light up, how will Father Christmas find his way to Oldham this Christmas?

Will Twinkle triumph and illuminate the town? If they don’t get the lights on in time how will Father Christmas find Oldham to deliver all his presents and find his way to the Spindles Grotto?

The Festive Fairy tale Switch-On starts at 5:30pm and is sure to be a fantastically exciting event for all the family with a pyrotechnic finale, so be sure to wrap up warm.

And you can keep the festive fun going after the entertainment finishes. Explore the shops, restaurants, and market stalls of Oldham town centre, where you'll find delicious sweet and savoury treats, a variety of festive gifts and Christmas party fashions.

The following Saturday (27th November) The Reindeer Parade returns with real reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh from 1pm.

The parade starts at 1pm at Parliament Square before heading to High Street, Albion Street and Market Place and finishing back at Parliament Square at 1.30pm.

This year, it's a Christmas Storybook Parade with over 200 local performers and festive floats for a celebration filled with music, street theatre, and nostalgic yuletide fun.

The parade will take its inspiration from traditional and contemporary children’s Christmas stories and will bring to life some of the most beloved classic Christmas characters from stories such as Raymond Briggs ‘The Snowman’ and 'The Dinosaur who pooped at Christmas'.

Plus you can see festive performances by Dobcross Silver Band and Oldham Scottish Pipe Band, along with bouncing elves, runaway presents, and oh-so jolly angels’ parade through the town.

The reindeer meet and greet and strolling performances continue until 4pm.

All events throughout the day are free.

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