Small-scale Christmas events are planned as Victorian fair cancelled

October 05 2020
Small-scale Christmas events are planned as Victorian fair cancelled

Worcester’s annual Victorian Christmas fair has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus.

The event, which normally attracts 150,000 visitors to the city over four days, contributes £7.3 million to its economy.

It had been due to run from December 3 to 6.

Instead, a range of festive attractions to entice people to the city centre across the four December weekends will be arranged.

They will include small scale arts and food markets, a Christmas trail for families to follow, acoustic musicians, costumed characters and entertainers.

They will adhere to the latest Covid guidance from central government.

“This is not a decision that we’ve taken lightly – we don’t take any pleasure in announcing the cancellation of this popular event,” said Labour councillor Adrian Gregson, Deputy Leader of Worcester City Council.

“However, with the Covid pandemic still at large, the risks incurred in allowing this winter event to go ahead were simply too high.

“We are developing a smaller scale programme of Christmas events which will help to attract visitors to the city centre across December, without focusing everything on one weekend, as is the case with the Victorian fair.”

There were 200 market stalls at the 2019 fair, attracting 185 coachloads of people to Worcester.