Luton Council have announced this Saturday’s (23 November) popular Lighting up Luton activities will take place at The Hat Factory Arts Centre on Bute Street, with the lights switch-on proceeding as planned from 6pm at the Town Hall.
The event, in partnership with Luton BID and Luton Point, is made possible thanks to sponsorship through the council’s airport company, Luton Rising, and marks the beginning of five weeks of festive fun across the town.
Families can enjoy entertainment and music inside The Hat Factory from 2pm, with the chance to meet children’s TV favourite Bluey, courtesy of Luton BID. There will be activities throughout the afternoon including face painting, bauble decorating and reindeer mask making. Visitors can also enjoy performances from various acts such as Tanesia, Warriorz, and Luton Youth Rock Band.
Stage entertainment runs until 5.15pm. Other activities continue until around 6pm, when everyone is invited to gather outside the Town Hall for the Christmas lights switch-on.
Luton Point will also open their Enchanted Forest grotto on the day from 10am, enabling visitors to meet Father Christmas in his log cabin, enjoy a festive craft and have a photo on the Woodland Throne.
The grotto will be open every weekend from 23 November, then daily from Saturday 21 December until Christmas Eve. Quiet sessions will be held each Sunday from 10am offering a quieter, more relaxed environment as most of the shops won’t have opened yet. Entry is free if you spend £20 in stores at Luton Point or make a donation to charity of £3 per child. All money raised will be donated to The Lewis Foundation, which provides free gift packs and support to adults going through cancer treatment.
Cllr James Taylor, portfolio holder for Regeneration and Inclusive Growth said: “With high winds forecasted, we’ve moved Saturday’s entertainment and activities from George Street to the excellent facilities at The Hat Factory Arts Centre.
“This event is one of several this year bringing people back into our town centre, reinforcing its role as a focal point for community and commercial life, and helping achieve our 2040 vision. We thank everyone who has made this possible and look forward to seeing Luton residents come together to celebrate the town and Christmas.”
Cllr Javeria Hussain, Vice Chair of Luton Rising, said: “The start of the Christmas season is always a magical time of year, and our hugely popular Lighting up Luton event promises to be a great afternoon of entertainment, with something to appeal to everyone. Through Luton Rising sponsored events throughout the year, communities are brought together to celebrate which wouldn’t be possible without our airport.
“On Saturday special guest Bluey will be entertaining families in the lead-up to the lights switch-on and there will be exciting live music and performances, festive crafts, and a Santa’s grotto. Please come down and enjoy the fabulous festive lights and joyful community atmosphere in our town centre, whilst supporting our local businesses and the volunteers that make these events possible.”
Visit the Christmas page on our website for the full line-up.