Last Saturday, December 2 was definitely one of the highlights of the Rye calendar year, the day the town put on a spectacular Christmas Festival which attracted locals and visitors from far afield, thanks to Sophie Judge and her team of volunteers who worked so hard to make this such an inclusive and fun day to remember. Pedestrianizing the High Street allowed visiting families to relax as they walked freely along the road sampling the delights of what was on offer, shared by the horse and carriage rides which ran throughout the day.
It was cold all day but thankfully it was dry too and this didn’t stop visitors taking advantage of the free parking. No car for Santa, as he made a spectacular entrance at Rye Station before heading to his grotto accompanied by Mother Christmas. meeting and greeting along the way. Later he led the procession from the comfort of a fire engine along with our very own town crier, mayor, Ryebellion drummers and the tractor-drawn fiery dragon, Scorcher.
Throughout the day many shop keepers spilled out their wares onto the pavements, a great opportunity to get a few Christmas presents, and in St Mary’s church and St Mary’s Centre there were stalls of every description with raffles, exhibitions, crafts, tombolas, refreshments and so much more.
Music filled the air with live performances, that kept us all entertained for hours, outside Knoops, the Rye Retreat, the Old Borough Arms and, of course, the town hall where the Rock Choir, one of the many artists, and Ryebellion performed.
Later in the day it was time to turn on the Christmas tree lights on the Eco tree, installed by mayor Andi Rivett and his band of elves and switched on by Maisy Beale. The tree was recycled from anything nautical including an old mast and rigging but hats off to all concerned, it looked fabulous.
The mist held off but descended during the late afternoon as the procession made its way through the town. The roads were opened up and the crowds began to disperse but what a wonderful event it was. Congratulations to the organisers, a big thankyou to all the shops, businesses, musicians, singers, volunteers and visitors who made this day so special.
The gallery below says it all.
Image Credits: Christmas in Rye , Rye Theatre , Nick Forman .