Council plans for alternative Christmas and fair for Loughborough

Charnwood Borough Council is looking at alternative ways to celebrate Christmas this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It's proposed the annual Loughborough Fair that takes place in November will not be happening in its usual format and there will be no big rides.

Instead, it’ll be replaced by a ceremony to mark its 799th year with some smaller children's rides.

The town hall panto Aladdin will be postponed until 2021 and the Loughborough Christmas lights switch-on event in Market Place will be cancelled, replacing it with a Christmas Market.

The Christmas lights will still be switched on in Loughborough.

The Council says all three events take months of planning and it needs to make decisions now to focus efforts on alternative celebrations and to avoid incurring costs which cannot be recovered.

The Remembrance Sunday service at the Carillon will go ahead in November and but it is proposed to cancel the parade.

All events will follow the latest guidance on social distancing.

A report about the proposals is being considered by the Council’s Cabinet on Thursday 13th August.

Councillor Jenny Bokor, lead member for Loughborough, said: “Cabinet papers are not usually fun but I have to say this is about the least fun Cabinet paper I have ever had to present to colleagues, but as many people have said ‘these are unprecedented times’.

“We need to make a decision now so we can focus on what we can do to celebrate Christmas and Loughborough Fair and make sure we are still able to properly and safely honour those who gave their lives to protect our country.

“By November and December, town centre events are going to need to be carefully managed and we cannot say what social distancing measures will be in place by then. Looking after people’s health and wellbeing is paramount.

“We recognise the importance of Christmas to local businesses and that’s why we will be looking at other ways to encourage people into the town centre in a safer and more manageable way.
“We are disappointed to be moving the pantomime to next year but as there is so much uncertainty about how theatres can operate in the coming months, it is necessary. We hope we can find other uses for the town hall in the coming months.”