Nairn sends out invitation to Christmas shopping day of entertainment
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A HIGHLAND town is gearing up for a Christmas extravaganza this Saturday with the message to visitors to "shop local."
Countdown to Christmas in Nairn will include a street market, craft fair, street entertainment, horse and carriage rides, and Santa’s grotto.
It will be held over two locations, Nairn town centre and the Links, where a short fireworks display will round off the day’s festivities.
The event is being organised by Nairn Connects BID, part funded by the Scottish Government in partnership with EventScotland.
Lucy Harding, manager of Nairn BID said that while the event is about having fun and is for the whole community, they hope that people will also enjoy visiting the many local shops and stalls at the market and craft area.
She said: “We are so excited to be bringing another Christmas event to Nairn, especially as we were unable to do one last year.
"The BID team and a whole host of volunteers have been working behind the scenes to bring something special to the town and whilst it will be great for the community, the BID is here to make sure that our businesses are looked after, so we urge people visiting, to take a good look around and see what a fabulous offering Nairn has.
"You could spend the whole day in Nairn and get all your Christmas shopping done in one go.”
Countdown to Christmas will start at 10am and will replace Nairn’s usual annual light switch on. It will instead incorporate a fireworks display to round off the entertainment.
The fireworks display is being funded by the Nairn West and Suburban Community Council, as the money was originally raised from the community of Nairn specifically for the display.
Lorraine Mallinson, community councillor with NWSCC said she was delighted the money which had been collected was finally being used.
She said: “The money which is paying for the fireworks was collected from the community and businesses for the specific goal of bringing a fireworks display to Nairn and finally with support from Nairn BID it is happening. The team has been liaising with the company who are doing the display and there are a mix of high impact and low noise fireworks and the display is limited to just 10 minutes long. It will be short but sweet and I cannot wait to see it happen.”
Samantha Prendeville who owns Kettle & Cafetiere on Harbour Street said she is also looking forward to Saturday: “The 2019 event was a huge success for Nairn and it really did encourage people to come into the town centre and see what Nairn has to offer.
"There has already been a lot of interest in this event and I hope it is a huge success for everyone involved.”
Full details and timings will be available on the Nairn BID website www.nairnconnects.com
