Okehampton Edwardian Evening

The festive season on Okehampton will begin in style on December 1, when the town’s atmospheric annual Edwardian Evening will be staged by the Chamber of Trade.

Attracting thousands of people every year, Edwardian Evening provides a magnet for families to get together and enjoy a late night shopping experience in a unique, Christmassy atmosphere.

The fun will start at 6pm, when the streets will be closed to traffic and shoppers can wander in safety through the town centre. Santa Claus will be in his grotto in the Museum of Dartmoor Life, welcoming children who will already be getting excited about the Christmas season. There will be live music with Okehampton Excelsior Silver Band, which will also provide the music for the Mayor’s Carol Service. Jade Oliver-Deacon, chair of Okehampton and District Chamber, said: ‘The carol service we’re hoping to have in Fore Street possibly outside St James Church.  This is to help keep the walkway though Red Lion Yard clear for those wandering around.  There will be more room also in Fore Street plus giving the traders in that area a chance of something happening.’

An enormous barrel organ will also be playing festive tunes to add to the atmosphere, while the enticing smells from a hog roast and roasting chestnuts will be tempting the tastebuds.

A street magician will be providing entertainment in the Victorian Arcade and a barber shop quartet will be touring the town, singing in a variety of venues.

This year, Okehampton’s renowned display of Christmas lights, with even more bulbs this year, are due to be switched on during December 1, to add to the atmosphere of the night. Shop keepers and businesses taking part in Edwardian Evening enter the spirit of the night by offering all sorts of refreshments to their customers, including traditional delights like mince pies and mulled wine. The Ockment Centre will also be open once again, after the success of taking part in the event last year for the first time.

Jade said: ‘For a lot of families, Edwardian Evening is a real social get-together, as well as a chance for to start their Christmas shopping. The atmosphere is incredible, with so many people out on the streets — it’s just a very happy, festive event, everyone enjoys it and one of the key things is it encourages people to shop locally and support their local, independent businesses, which are so important to the town.’

Parking in the Mill Road and Market Street carparks will be free from 6pm and during the month of December, free from 3pm in Simmons Park.

Come on down to Okehampton and enjoy a night to remember on Edwardian Evening!