Dorchester Christmas Cracker 2022

Friday, November 11th, 2022

We are proud to say that Dorchester BID are a key sponsor of Dorchester Christmas Cracker again for a 15th year in a row!

It is nearly time for Dorchester’s favourite festive event to take to the town. We know your calendars are bound to quickly fill up at this time of year, so make sure you note down that Dorchester Christmas Cracker 2022 will take place on Sunday 11th December, from 11am-4pm!

This years Christmas Cracker promises to be a fun-filled festive day full of stalls and entertainment for all the family. Many eateries, shops and businesses in town and Brewery Square will be open for the festive event! In addition, 60 quality independent vendors will line High West Street and East Street, and 60 more will ‘deck’ out The Corn Exchange with local food produce, gifts, festive drinks, sweet treats and more!

Pick up a beautiful gift for your loved one, enjoy a hot mulled wine, Christmas music and all the entertainment that the Cracker has to offer. This years event is certainly one not to be missed!

Download the PDF with all the info you need!

What you can expect at Dorchester Christmas Cracker 2022

Entertainment for all the family

There will be an Entertainment Stage managed by KeeP106, which will feature festive musical acts throughout the day!

Quality food and drink throughout the day

Whether you’re in the mood for a savoury festive main or a sumptuous sweet treat, you’ll find something to hit the spot here! The town and Brewery Square will be serving up delicious festive treats, which will be complimented by lots of food vendors with further seasonal offerings! It’s an unwritten rule to sample some of the delicious food at the event – it is Christmas after all!

Santa Hat Children’s Parade

New for this year! The Santa Hat Children’s Parade will leave the top of High West Street at 12 noon. Last year over 100 children followed Elmo through the streets of Dorchester. We’re hoping for an even bigger turnout this year at this new event. Your little ones will love getting involved!

santa hat parade dorchester cracker 2022

Brilliant Christmas shopping opportunities

We are extremely lucky to have so many excellent shops participating and vendors returning to the Cracker this year! Your family and friends are sure to love a present from a local, independent trader, and you’re sure to find a perfect gift for all your loved ones at the event!

We now have the list of excellent street vendors who will line the streets at Corn Exchange on the 11th.

Words from the committee and sponsors

There is already much anticipation for event this year! Steve Bulley, Cracker Chairman, gives us a preview of the event:

“Due to the huge success of the event in 2021 we had traders signing up for space at the 2022 event within a few hours. High West Street in Dorchester will be transformed into a festive shopping spectacular with over 60 trading stalls, and a Christmas fair with a further 60 tables, this year over two floors, which will be held in the Corn Exchange, our thanks to our Christmas fair supporters Farnfields Solicitors”.

Phil Gordon, Project Director of key sponsor and major funder Dorchester BID, added:

“Ever since the Dorchester BID first started life in 2008 we have every year supported the Christmas Cracker with funds. It’s a great event and I believeeven better since being switched to during the day as it makes it much better for families with younger children to attend, I cant wait for this years Dorchester Christmas Cracker. We have also been the major funder (on behalf of the town’s businesses) of the Christmas lights (in partnership with the Town Council). The DBID has a mission to promote the town, encourage more people to visit and spend more time in Dorchester we also provide support the town’s businesses with a whole range of projects. Trees and lights at Christmas, hanging baskets and flags during the year, our excellent Ambassador team, maps shopper’s guides, Supersleuth, Where’s Snowy, website and town apps, free town Wi-Fi and subsidies for recycling, training, support for town evens like Victorian fair, Thomas Hardy and literary festivals and this year the Armour & Embarkation commemoration event saw more than 6000 people come into the town to watch a convoy of more than 90 WW2 vehicles and 100’s of personnel come into the heart of town and park up in Weymouth Avenue. 2023 is a re-ballot year for us so, hopefully, if we are successful, the DBID will be able to continue providing all this into the future”.

Brewery Square Christmas Events

As well as the fun-filled Christmas Cracker, Dorchester is excited to welcome again the range of fantastic Christmas events that are held in Brewery Square! In addition to Skating In The Square and Characters at Christmas, the Christmas Market is returning!

Precede the Cracker festivities with a visit to the Brewery Square Christmas Market – which takes place a day before the Christmas Cracker! The market is set to run from 11am until 3pm! Here, you can shop at a range of shops and businesses for all of your Christmas gifting needs – from children’s toys and jewellery, to crystals and personalised items! The annual Brewery Square Christmas Market has been a roaring success in previous years, and we can’t wait for the festive makeover to compliment the Square’s vast array of businesses again on the 10th December 2022!