A whopping 25,000-strong crowd celebrated the official countdown to Christmas in Armagh this weekend as the traditional Georgian Day celebrations got under way in the historic city. The event was the largest-ever festival event to be held in Armagh.
The annual extravaganza, one of Ireland’s largest festivals, and inspired by Armagh’s unique and historic Georgian cityscape, saw the city transformed into a seasonal winter wonderland. The highlight of the packed-out, day-long schedule of family-fun events was the famous Georgian Day Light Show, ‘T’was the Light before Christmas’, at the city’s iconic Market House, which brought the centuries-old building to life with a spectacular animated performance.
Throughout the day, more than 70 festive stalls had lined the city streets offering locally produced food, drinks and high quality gifts, while Georgian gentry strolled the cobbled streets and stallholders served customers in traditional Georgian outfits against a backdrop of Christmas music and entertainment from local singers. New for the 2015 event was the Children’s Market at the Shambles Yard, which was home to an amazing array of festive fun including a fantastic range of family-friendly experiences including a carousel, real reindeer, fairground games, crafts, stalls and even a kids’ disco!
Lord Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, Darryn Causby, said the event was a perfect start to the Festive season for the many thousands of people who enjoyed the celebrations;
“Armagh’s annual Georgian Day event has been attracting record numbers of visitors to the city for more than a decade, and this year is no exception. We are delighted that so many people came to experience the magic and atmosphere of this thrilling event which is one of the highlights of the city’s calendar of events.
“For many families, the Georgian Day celebrations mark the official countdown to Christmas and the atmosphere, activities and fun of this unrivalled event put all our visitors in the festive spirit with the magic of Christmas celebrated in traditional Georgian style.”
While Georgian Day marks the start of Christmas in the city, there are still more experiences to come over the next few weeks with Santa and his elves welcoming children of all ages to Navan Centre and Fort from Saturday, December 5th, while also allowing them a sneak peek inside his workshop at McCrum’s Court.
Little Red Riding Hood will be providing unforgettable festive fun from December 4th at the Market Place Theatre, while the Armagh Planetarium will be journeying back over 2,000 years to Bethlehem, to discover a scientific explanation for the star the Wise Men followed to find the baby Jesus, in the digital theatre show ‘Mystery of the Christmas Star’ in a modern re-telling of the Christmas story that will charm and captivate all ages.
If you are looking for somewhere to enjoy the best hospitality, culture, food and nightlife this Christmas then Armagh should be at the top of your pilgrimage list! For more information, see Armagh.co.uk/Georgian
