Countdown to the Bath Christmas Market begins

16th November 2009

Organisers of the Bath Christmas Market, Bath Tourism Plus, have begun the final count down to the festive event.  With just over a week to go the Bath Christmas Market will start at 10.00am on Thursday 26th November and continuing through to Sunday 6th December.

Offering the perfect Christmas shopping experience, the event will feature 123 festively-dressed chalets selling unique, handmade and locally sourced products from food items and hampers, to toys, decorations, clothing and home ware.

With more entertainment this year, the Christmas Market will be better than ever for families.  A centre of attention for children will be the Victorian Carousel on Stall Street and a whole range of fun characters will mingle with the crowds.  Making a special appearance will be a Snow Queen on stilts, balloon modelling elves, a reindeer, a robin and a snowman, to name just a few!

Supplying a festive soundtrack will be a host of musical and dramatic entertainers performing in the three entertainment areas (under the arch at Abbey Green, at the Swallow Street end of York Street and outside the front of Bath Abbey).  Sing along to carols with Trinity Primary School and Writhlington School and enjoy a variety of festive musical performances from acts including Grenville Jones, Jez Broun and Steve Robinson.

While exploring the superb range of gifts and products on sale shoppers can warm up with a winter treat at one of the event's six catering chalets.  The 2009 market will see new catering companies providing delicious British food such as gourmet burgers, traditional sausage cobs and mince pies, and warming mulled wine.

Bath Tourism Plus is looking forward to the start of the Christmas Market.  Events Manager, Victoria Spriggs says:  “The planning has been very smooth and we’re really looking forward to getting out on the market and sharing the event with everyone.  We are also pleased to be offering something new for this year.  There will be a number of first-time traders giving shoppers even more choice and the increased number of performers will provide a festive atmosphere and keep visitors entertained”.

Robin Bischert, Chief Executive of Bath Tourism Plus says: “Each year, the market attracts around 225,000 people, which really gives the city a boost at this important time of year.  The event is always much anticipated, and Bath Tourism Plus is pleased to see that a year's hard work organising and promoting the event is once again culminating in another successful event, for the benefit of a huge number of people - visitors, the local community, the city centre retail sector and the tourist industry in Bath and the surrounding area”. The city is no doubt going to be a busy place on 26th November as well as throughout the duration of the market which finishes on the 6th December so don’t forget to Park and Ride (the service has been especially extended), or use public transport if possible.

For opening times and further details of Bath Christmas Market, see the official website www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk, call 0906 711200 (50/min) or call into the Tourist Information Centre, Abbey Churchyard.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:  
For further information about Bath Christmas Market, please contact Lucy Weaver at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 477441 or by email on: lucy_weaver@bathtourism.co.uk

Bath Christmas Market
Bath Tourism Plus is the company responsible for the marketing and operation of Bath Christmas Market, which attracts approximately 225,000 visitors per year to Bath.  For more information about Bath Christmas Market, visit: www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk.

Bath Tourism Plus
Working with the public and private sectors Bath’s destination marketing organisation, Bath Tourism Plus, takes full responsibility for co-ordinating the work of a busy tourist information centre, the marketing of Bath and the surrounding area to leisure and business travellers, PR activity to attract the nation’s top travel writers, a conference office, and development of Bath’s official destination website www.visitbath.co.uk