Christmas arrives in Colchester with magical light parade

The festive season in Colchester was kickstarted during a procession yesterday evening as joyous marchers made their down the High Street.

The light parade walked from Firstsite, past the Colchester Castle and towards the Mercury Theatre as thousands of impressed spectators looked on.

As the parade took place the Christmas lights in the city centre were turned on.

Families enjoyed immersing themselves in the seasonal spirit as they enjoyed a host of other festive fun.

Impressive - A giant fox helped light-up Colchester in a festive glow as it made its way through the city centre (Image: Newsquest)
At the same time as the parade, Lion Walk was kicking off its Christmas celebrations with live entertainment and a light switch on with fireworks.

The procession, soundtracked by a samba band, featured Father Christmas riding an elephant, a Chinese dragon, and a giant fox.

The Great Yiddish Parade also performed music on array of woodwind instruments while pupils from several schools joined in with the celebrations.

Students from St James’s School, for example, even came equipped with a model of Colchester Castle.

In keeping with tradition, Colchester mayor John Jowers and other city dignitaries also made an appearance on the Town Hall balcony during the event.

Crowds - Thousands celebrated the arrival of Christmas (Image: Newsquest)

Spectator Sophie, 37, alongside her son, 2, said: "My little boy Cole wanted to see the fox. 

"They told him about it at nursery and he has been going on about it ever since - then he got here and he was scared of it. 

"We've also come with a friend who is obsessed with the Grinch. 

"It was so good, and it's just so busy. And Cole was alright with the fox in the end."

The parade comes as the city centre prepares for the festive season.

Three nights of family-themed fun and entertainment are set for the first three Wednesdays in December, when retailers and hospitality businesses will extend their opening hours for shoppers.

Beautiful - Colchester’s Christmas lights have sprinkled festive magic through the city (Image: Newsquest)

Additionally, two Christmas markets will be also held this year as opposed to the usual one, with the Christmas High Street market taking place on Sunday, November 26, and the InColchester Christmas market taking place on Sunday, December 10.

Both events will be held in the traditional format on the High Street and are free for visitors to attend without booking in advance.

Pick up a copy of Friday’s Daily Gazette and visit gazette-news.co.uk to see even more magical pictures from this year’s festive light parade and Christmas celebrations.