After visiting the annual Christmas fair next to Brighton pier, it was clear to see that it was getting to that time of year as the Christmas themed lights and stalls were out in full action. The smell of freshly cooked food and steaming hot drinks lingered in the air as you moved from shop to shop creating a great sense of community with the people around you enjoying the moment as well. At one end there was the much loved ice rink busy as ever, seeing people hold themselves at the walls as they get used to the festive past time while at the other end the sounds of sizzling German Sausages and culinary delights allowing for the taste of an early Christmas meal.
After opening on the 26th November and running through to December there will be plenty of chances to visit all the rides and stalls that the fair has to offer. However the main attraction at Old Steine had to have been the eye catching Ferris wheel which is a return of an old favourite of the local community. After walking around for a while I managed to interview one of the Ferris Wheel workers who had this to say about the event as a whole : “I think it’s great, obviously days like today are much more low-key, but generally speaking it’s 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”. He then went on to talk about why the Ferris Wheel was important to Brighton saying : “From a personal point of view, the Ferris Wheel is an attractive part of the market as it reminds locals who have experienced it before what this time of year is all about”.
After giving a positive light to the event he then went on to talk about how Covid-19 disrupted Christmas quite heavily last year and that this will only make the event this year better. The worker went on to say : “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, due to the virus outbreak last year I’m expecting the evenings to be buzzing”. While asking him about what how a Brighton Christmas is special he had this to say : “Not actually coming from Brighton, I usually just travel here for work during a more chaotic time of the year, but what I can say is that its 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”.
Go and check out their Twitter for more images and videos of the fair to see if you feel interested to go and visit yourself @BNChristmasFest, or visit their website at Brighton Christmas Festival .
