One of Frome’s best-loved Christmas traditions is set to return this November, with a special milestone to celebrate.
Frome Town Council’s Christmas Light Switch On and Light the Night Lantern Parade takes place on Friday 27 November from 6pm to 7pm, marking 10 years of the much-loved part of the town’s festive celebrations.
To celebrate the anniversary, this year’s theme is Alice in Wonderland, inviting residents to step down the rabbit hole and create lanterns inspired by the curious characters, and playful imagination of the classic story.
In the coming weeks, Frome Lanterns will once again host a series of community workshops, helping people of all ages develop their ideas, learn new skills and take part in this much-loved town tradition. You will be able to book workshops via their website fromelanterns.co.uk .
Over the past decade, they have supported thousands of residents, schools and community groups to build lanterns, share skills and help shape an event that has become a distinctive part of Christmas in Frome.
Mel and Aliss from Frome Lanterns said: “Ten years on, what still makes the parade special is seeing people of all ages take part and make it their own. Every lantern has its own story behind it, whether it’s made by a family, a school group or someone joining in for the very first time. We love seeing people’s ideas take shape through the workshops and can’t wait to see where the Alice in Wonderland theme takes us this year. You can book our first family lantern workshop on October 31st at the Library through our website. Keep an eye out for all our November workshops which will be available to book soon!”
Lantern kits are now available to purchase, ready to be transformed into unique lanterns for this year’s parade. Find them at Frome Town Hall (Monday to Tuesday, 9am to 5pm and Friday, 9am to 4.30pm) and the Discover Frome Information Point at Frome Library (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10am to 1pm, and Wednesday and Saturday, 10am to 4pm).
Mayor of Frome, Cllr Mark Dorrington, said: “The Lantern Parade is one of those events that feels uniquely Frome. It brings together imagination, community spirit and a huge amount of hard work from all those involved. Celebrating 10 years makes this year’s event particularly special, and I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t taken part before to pick up a lantern kit and get involved.”
The festivities begin before the countdown, with the Cattle Market Car Park transformed into a food court from 3pm to 7.30pm. Following the success of last year, there will be even more food and drink options on offer for people gathering to enjoy the evening.
More information, including workshop dates and event details, will be available closer to the time at www.discoverfrome.co.uk/christmas-in-frome.
