Brighton’s Christmas Market is already booming in early December ahead of the big festive day, December 25th, just weeks away. Along Old Steine, are two big stalls separated just metres away from one another, decorated vividly with lights, wooden shack huts and of course Christmas music.
The warm spiced aromas of Mulled wine, mince pies and the tender roasted meats falling off the bone were clear to everyone’s senses, the market workers in festive spirits whilst the customers strolled round slowly gazing at all the stools. They were wrapped up warm, in the bitterly cold breeze to which the warm delicacies available were no doubt eye-catching to combat the weaponry weather.
As you strolled down the road out of that section, you were confronted with a magical ice rink, compact with skaters of every skill difficulty, from amateur to some gliding with ease. The lights surrounding the Royal Pavillion glistened as they beamed sharply against the old décor, creating a vibrant atmosphere, even in the last few hours of daylight.
A few metres along were another part of the Christmas market, situated on Old Steine’s square, pivoting Brighton’s shopping centre either side- a centrepiece for attention from a geographical location.
In the market, there were food stools of different heritages, from warm German sausages to Belgian chocolate waffles and Spanish churros- all celebrating different cultures through the unison of Christmas and the festive cheer it unites people with.
But there wasn’t just food aplenty to draw customers in, there were also rides, activities and a Santa’s grotto. This epitomises the market wanting to target customers of all ages- aspiring to grow a local event into something hopefully far bigger.
Speaking to a worker within the Christmas market, working on the Ferris wheel helped to gauge an idea of the reason behind the Christmas markets success in growth.
He said: “I think it’s great, obviously days like today are much more low-key, but it’s [the Christmas market] a popular event. It’s very much about bringing the community together on such a joyous occasion, and as a collective, we think we’re able to bring that”.
The Ferris wheel opened on the 26th November, so it has only been running for a short while, but he hopes that business will continue to boom up until Christmas,
“I think so, yes. You can never tell really with how many people will ever turn up but I’m certainly expecting this year to be a better Christmas. Naturally we feel that customers will come because the Christmas Market is an attraction to the local community, but from a personal point of view, the wheel is an attractive part of the market we feel”.
Ultimately, Christmas is a special season, and clearly so too in Brighton. But speaking to a Christmas market worker, who wasn’t a local, was interesting to gauge what he thought made a Brighton Christmas special. He said:
“Everything. From the community to the festive season, it’s all special. Not one thing ever makes something special, I see it as a collective effort on both parts. But my favourite part is seeing the warmth and smile that Christmas brings to others”.
