ASHTON LIGHTS UP
On Saturday November 23rd Ashton town centre will be hosting its own event to launch the festive season. The event has been organised by Ashton Town Team with support from the UKSPF Creative Communities Fund, Tameside MBC, Ladysmith Shopping Centre and Arcades Shopping Centre.
The event will be taking place from 1.30pm until 5pm with character walkabouts and entertainment throughout the town centre during the afternoon. With work now taking place on the market ground the main areas for the event will be Fletcher Square, Market Street and Bow Street which will host a special Christmas themed artisan market from Little Owl Events.
Characters you will find around the town centre will be timeless classic fun from Laurel & Hardy, Christmas Bear with his Elf friend and ‘SantaPool’ who we are sure will be popular! The walkabouts will take place during the afternoon to include Ashton Market Hall, Arcades Shopping Centre, Ladysmith Shopping Centre, Market Avenue and other areas.
The Town Team also welcome Tameside Air Cadets, Blaze Streetdance Academy and music from Tom Stevenson and vocalist Roger DeGenero during the event.
The official lights switch on is planned for 5pm when Father Christmas will join us thanks to Lifeline Community Ambulance CIC. Following the switch on Father Christmas will be posing for photographs and giving away sweet treats to children.
Ashton will also host the popular festive elf trail once again with businesses including Sincerely Yours, New Shu, Decisions, Manchester Optical, Cameraz and Lullaby’s Baby Store taking part.
Ashton town centre has FREE weekend parking on the Union Street car park and now a new £1 tariff at Old Cross car park for 3 hours. Ashton Town Team would like to encourage everyone to make a big difference this Christmas and support small businesses.
Who are Ashton Town Team?
Following the Portas review, an independent review into the future of our high streets, the Ashton Town Team was formed in 2012 with local businesses, Tameside Council and key stakeholders within the town centre.
It’s a voluntary organisation which relies on funding and sponsorship to achieve its aims in supporting our town centre and its small independent businesses. Small businesses offer something unique that provides an essential element in the mix of national retail and leisure which should form part of Ashton town centre. Over the years the Town Team have introduced events like Scarefest, Heritage Day and supported Totally Locally campaigns like Fiverfest. We have campaigned on issues like parking, town centre signage and security. In 2019 we produced a map for the town centre and this year we launch the Independent Business Awards for the town centre.