Dorchester Christmas Cracker | Dorchester Dorset Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Dorchester Christmas Cracker’

Dorchester Cracker Night Preview

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
Tags: car parking in Dorchester, christmas shopping, Dorchester Christmas Cracker

Antiques Roadshow's Eric Knowles

So the big night is almost here, and the final preparations are being made for Dorchester’s Christmas Cracker Night on Thursday evening.

The latest news is that ‘Mr Antiques’ himself Eric Knowles will be here to turn on the Christmas lights in South Street at 6.30pm. Viewers of BBC’s Antiques Roadshow will know him as one of the show’s expert valuers, and you will also be able to catch him here earlier in the day at Waterstones from 2.30pm where he’ll be signing books and chatting to fellow antiques enthusiasts.

If that’s not enough, Eric will also be on hand to value your own antiques and heirlooms for you at the Corn Exchange from 6.40pm. Tickets for his ‘Antiques Antics’ event are £12 (£10 concessions), and after 7.30pm he’ll also be sharing some of his best insights and anecdotes from his long career in antiques.

Shopping in Dorchester After Dark

We’ve put up a list on our website of the Dorchester businesses staying open late on Thursday for Cracker Night.

As per tradition, they’ll all be competing to see who can have the best dressed shop front, so keep an eye out for decorations that really grab your attention. Remember also that many of these shops will also be open late every Thursday between now and Christmas, and we’ve also added this information to the Cracker Night list.

For those of you who’ll be coming by car on Thursday, we’d recommend you get to Dorchester as early as possible, because the roads in the centre will be closed for Cracker Night at 5.30pm. There will be FREE parking in all the WDDC car park from 5pm onwards. Click here for our Dorchester car parks map.

Finally, look out for DBID brightening up Cracker Night with some amazing projections onto the Lloyds Bank building in South Street from 5pm! See you there!

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Christmas Cracker Night 2011

Friday, November 18th, 2011
Tags: Christmas shopping in Dorchester, Dorchester Christmas Cracker

It’s that time of year again – Cracker Night is just around the corner, the OFFICIAL start to Christmas in Dorchester! The event has been running for several years now, and the turn-out gets better every time. Can this year be the biggest yet?

Let There Be Light!

Dorchester Cracker Festivities

For this year’s Cracker we’ll be welcoming special guest Lee Latchford Evans from Steps, who’ll be doing the honours of switching on the lights for us. He’ll be hitting the switch at 6.30pm on the St. Peter’s Stage, so don’t miss it!

Late Night Shopping

As well as all the usual entertainments and amusements, Cracker Night is also an opportunity to do some late night shopping, with a large number of our most popular shops and other businesses staying open into the evening for you to peruse at your leisure. Many will be doing something a bit special, so look out for free giveaways and other exciting things going on all evening!

Christmas Stalls

Obviously the stalls are a big part of the Cracker Night experience, creating an authentic Christmas market feel with everything from mulled wine to mince pies and hog roasts. This year a website has been set up for traders to book a space for their stall, which will cost £10 for charities and non-profits, and £40 for regular traders.

The spaces are already filling up fast – take a look at who’s already going to be there.

See You There!

Dorchester Cracker Night begins at 5.30pm on Thursday 1st December. We’re expecting a big crowd, and hopefully there’ll even be an appearance from Father Christmas himself, accompanied by one or two of his elves and reindeer!

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Christmas Cracker in Dorchester 2010

Friday, December 3rd, 2010
Tags: Dorchester Christmas Cracker, dorchester christmas shopping, dorchester county museum

Merry Christmas Alien!

The 2010 Christmas Cracker in Dorchester was a great success.

Despite minus figures for night time temperatures, Cracker night saw a great turnout. We were running a bit late and arrived just after 6pm and it was such a relief to not have to worry about finding money for parking! The Free parking scheme is such a good idea!

Dorchester Christmas Lights

After watching the lantern parade our youngest was keen to see Corrie star Danny Young, (dressed as an elf mind!) start the countdown and switch on the lights. Little did we know it was the shape of things to come but the snow machine went down a storm – adding to the Cracker theme of ‘A White Christmas.’

There were lots of festive stalls, hot chestnuts, candy floss, burgers and mulled wine which kept many people going as the temperatures contined to fall.

We heard a lot of great comments about the atmosphere throughout the town and lots of people, including us, really enjoyed the visit to the Dorset County Museum.

Ok, it was an excuse to get out of the cold for a while, but the Science Fiction theme had lots of kids mesmerised.

We overheard one little lad having a rather grown up conversation with a Dalek.

Have you got a girlfriend? he asked. To which the Dalek replied with the customary “Exterminate!”

We fell about laughing when he turned to his Dad and said …. “What does exfolitate mean, Dad?”

Anyway, we thought the Christmas Carcker 2010 was a great success and hats off to everyone involved that made it such a great evening.

Such a nice way to start of Christmas in Dorchester!

: Christmas Carols on Cracker Night

: Countdown to Christmas Cracker 2010

: Mulled Wine kept us going

: Father Christmas arrived

: Dorchester’s Snow machine

: Corn Hill with Christmas Tree

: Danny Young switches on the lights

: Merry Christmas Alien!

See more pictures of the Dorchester Christmas Cracker 2010 night

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Dorchester Christmas Cracker 2009

Friday, October 30th, 2009
Tags: Dorchester Christmas Cracker

Santa Arrives at Dorchester Christmas Cracker

Try this for information on Dorchester Christmas Cracker 2010.

Although it is only just the end of October we thought we would remind all of the local Dorchester businesses and town visitors of this years fabulous Christmas event.

The 2009 Dorchester Christmas Cracker is being held on Wednesday 2nd december starting at 5pm.

The annual late night shopping event organised by the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating a theme of “A Traditional Christmas” where retailers are invited to dress up their shops and staff in character. There are prizes on offer for the best dressed shop and the most original costume.

South Street, Trinity Street, High West Street and High East Street will be closed off from traffic close from 5pm to allow shoppers to visit a variety of stalls, festive food, gifts, burgers, hot chestnuts, mulled wine and more. The majority of stalls will be situated in High West Street although there will be some in South Street.

The Christmas lights will be turned on by ex-Eastenders star Joel Beckett. Joel played the bad boy with a heart of gold Jake Moon. You may not recognise his name, but Jake has also played other TV roles including Dawn’s boyfriend, Lee from “The Office”, Holby City and Band of Brothers. He is playing the roll of the Wizard of Oz at the Weymouth Pavillion and will be switching the lights on with teh Dorchester Carnival Queen.

For the first time at the Dorchester Christmas Cracker, the lantern parade will start in High West Street at 7pm and then proceed down into South Street. Father Christmas and his helpers will lead the parade as usual but this year they will be transported with the Recycling Angel and other surprise characters.

There will also be lots of music and entertainment all over Dorchester town centre, in the arcades, along South Street, High West Street and Trinity Street with entertainers and characters all adding to the festive fun.

If you are a local trader and want to take part, stalls can be booked from £40 each. Fees are being waived for charities – but it is worth while getting in quick as there are only a limited numebr of stall spaces.

If you are a musical group or entertainer and want to be involved email: info@dorchestercracker.com for more information.

If you are visiting Dorchester and want to download a route plan or simply need more information about the Dorchester Christmas Cracker – visit – http://www.dorchestercracker.com