By Jorah Freeman, Izzy Womack and Ciara Teefey.
Brighton Christmas Festival 2021
Get into the festive spirit this Christmas with Brighton’s very own Christmas Festival. Starting at Old Steine and running down to St. Peters church, Brighton’s Christmas fair is made up of 5 different festival zones with 150 food, drink, and entertainment stalls … there’s something for everyone this Christmas. There are plenty of activities and attractions including:
Brighton Christmas Market
A Christmas market offering an endless supply of cocktails, food, hot chocolate, and mulled wines – this really is the making of Brighton’s Christmas Festival. Hand built chalets holding stalls give the market a traditional Christmas feel – you really shouldn’t miss it!
Santa’s Grotto
From the 20th of November to the 24th of December an invitation for smaller guests to have a personal audience with Father Christmas and the elves. Visit Santa’s grotto for an unforgettable experience and a gift from Santa himself!
Observation wheel
An observation wheel standing at 50m tall has been put up, providing stunning views of Christmas in Brighton. Only up for a limited time this is a must see.
The Penny Farthing Experience
Suitable for all ages, these high wheelers transport you back to the Victorian era while providing a unique and festive experience you’ll get nowhere else.
Christmas at the pavilion
There’s plenty to do and see this year at the royal pavilion. Walk down the festive Christmas trail and have your picture taken with an exact replica of the sleigh Queen Victoria used when she visited Brighton. This year the banqueting room will be laid out with a spectacular selection of Georgian desserts.
Fun Fair
A selection of rides and attractions for the whole family!
As well as encouraging the Christmas spirit Brighton Christmas festival also supports local charities and artists. They allow charities to hold stalls and promote themselves; so why not spread some joy at Christmas and visit a charity stall to see how you can support causes within the area. Brighton Christmas festival. As well as local charities, come and support local talent too. Watch performances performed by artists of different disciplines.
written by Jorah Freeman.
Brighton Christmas Market
At the heart of the Brighton Christmas Festival, running from Friday 26th November until Friday 31st December 2021, is Brighton’s Christmas Market. From chocolate brownies and German sausages to bailey’s hot chocolate and Viking horns, there is a little something unique for everybody. Featuring hand-built chalets to house the stalls gives the market a traditional feel and will leave you feeling welcoming and comfortable.
Brighton’s Christmas market, compromising more than 80 stalls and attractions, is packed full of entertainment, activities, local traditions, and exciting vendors, some of whom have won awards. Sellers from Wessex Gin Distillery said that Brighton’s Christmas market was “a great thing, particularly after covid.”
For food lovers there is a variety of food and beverage stands to choose from including: Cheese Please, Fudge-A-Holic, The Hog Roast and The Waffle Market. Our favorites include The Real German Sausage Hut, which serves a freshly grilled, footlong German sausage adorned with cooked peppers and onions and the creamy bailey’s hot chocolate with marshmallows on top served at Trading Post Coffee Roasters.
There are plenty of art and craft vendors to explore at the Christmas Market such as Viking Drinking Horns (you can also purchase its very own stand), Card Boys and Chameleon Candles, just to name a few. Brighton Cacao Company, our favorite, sells a delicious range of chocolate bars which can be sampled at the market. As well as serving an amazing range of dark or milk chocolate hot chocolates available with seasonal flavors: gingerbread caramel, winter spices and hazelnut.
The bars and alcoholic beverages available at the market are very impressive with over 15 places to try, such as Silent Pool Distillery, The Cleveland Arms and Wessex Distillery. With the market being open until 11pm, the Brighton Christmas market is the ultimate place to socialize this Christmas.
written by Izzy Womack.
Wessex Distillery
Wessex Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery that began in 2017. Located in Guilford the distillery prides itself on having an in-house, family approach to crafting gin from their copper barrel. The distillery has made itself known for producing award winning gin, recently winning double gold at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition for their Wyvern Classic Gin. They are also recipients of the gold award at the London Spirits Competition.
While Wessex Distillery have excelled on the world stage for their London Dry Gins it is their flavoured gins that are understatedly special. Gracie and Bluebell who work for the producers of the Brighton Christmas Festival, will be staffing the Wessex Distillery stall until Christmas Eve.
They will be there to provide free tastings of the distillery’s extensive range of gins and the Gooseberry & Elderflower Gin provides a warm, sweet flavour perfect during this cold festive season, worth braving the winter weather for.
Wessex Distillery is also running a special Christmas offer in case you need a last-minute gift idea, if you purchase a large bottle of gin, you will receive a free gin goblet to go with it! Do not miss a chance to taste good quality, local produce this silly season!
written by Ciara Teefey.
