Derry Merry Christmas as details of Big Switch On revealed

This yuletide will see the Christmas Switch On Procession through the city centre return, with Santa and a host of festive friends once more parading through the city centre sprinkling a little Christmas magic as the lights come on.

The Christmas schedule begins on the weekend of Friday November 17 with the Guildhall Craft Fair, and will continue through the month of December with events including the Mayor’s Christmas programming and Tea Dances in Derry and Strabane.

The Christmas Procession will take place in Derry on Friday November 24, and the following day in Strabane on Saturday, November 25.

The Procession format for the lights switch-ons originated in 2021 as a safer way for crowds to gather during the Covid pandemic, however Council’s Head of Culture, Aeidin McCarter, said that they have been retained following a positive response from the public.

“In the last two years the format of the Christmas light switch on has changed to multiple streets across a wider area of the city and town centres,” she said. “Santa and his festive companions travelled through the streets in procession with the Christmas lights switching on in their wake.

“Due to the success in the change of format which allowed more people to get an up close look at the characters, it is proposed that the Switch On events will proceed this way again in 2023.

“Santa’s Switch On Procession will consist of festive characters, NI Fire and Rescue Service, Panto Characters and beautiful bespoke Christmas themed mobile installations.

“Members of the public attending the Switch On events will be able to view Santa switching on the Christmas Lights from a series of city and town centre streets which will allow for the maximum number of people to safely line the routes.”

Mayor Patricia Logue meanwhile will be hosting a weekend of festivities with all kinds of Christmas characters spreading yuletide cheer.

The Mayor’s Christmas Tea Dances are scheduled for December 6 in the Guildhall and December 12 in St Patrick’s Hall in Strabane.

A wide range of other Christmas events have also been identified from choral events to Christmas movies around the district.

Members also heard that while a decision had been taken earlier as part of the rates process to not go ahead with a council Christmas market, officers said they have identified other community and city markets that are planned and these will be profiled as part of the Christmas events schedule.

Elected representatives attending the monthly meeting of the Business & Culture Committee in Strabane this week heard that the festive programme aims to ‘enhance the visitor and shopper experience and complement the existing calendar of events at this time of year’.