Christmas Events
Christmas Events in Derry ~Londonderry 2011
The Big Switch On
Location: Guildhall Square
Date: Wednesday, November 16th
Time: Entertainment from 6.30pm – 8pm. The Big Switch On at 7.30pm
Admission: Free
Information: Call (028) 7137 6545
Guildhall Craft Fair
Location: Guildhall, including Whittaker Suite
Dates/Times: Friday, November 18th (2pm – 8pm), Saturday, November 19th (10am – 6pm) and Sunday, November 20th (11am – 5pm)
Admission: £1 (Under-14s free)
24th Foyle Film Festival
Location: Nerve Centre, Omniplex,
Dates: November 23rd – 27th
Admission: Nerve Centre, Omniplex, other venues
Information: Visit www.foylefilmfestival.org or call 028 7137 3456, 028 7126 7432 or 028 7126 0562
Mayor’s Christmas Tea Dance
Location: Guildhall
Date: Tuesday, November 29th
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Admission: Free, tickets available from Derry City Council
Pantomime Cinderella
Title: Cinderella
Location: Millennium Forum
Dates: Friday 2nd December 2011 to Saturday 7th January 2012
Price: Check online for details www.millenniumforum.co.uk or call Box Office: 028 71 264455
Book online: at www.millenniumforum.co.uk or call Box Office: 02871 264455
Description: Come and have a ball at the biggest Panto in the North West! Step into Christmas and have a truly magical family experience at the Forum with the fun-filled pantomime, CINDERELLA.
Will Cinderella win her Prince? Will the glass slipper fit? You’ll have to wait until the clock strikes midnight to find out!
Packed with great song and dance routines, hilarious comedy, dazzling scenes and magical special effects, CINDERELLA is fun for all the family from 4-94!
Featuring a star studded local and Northern Irish cast including the return of William Caulfield as ‘Buttons’, X-Factor finalist, Eoghan Quigg as ‘Prince Charming’, Ruby Campbell as ‘Cinderella’ and Gerard McCabe and James Lecky as the ‘Ugly Sisters’, this glittering Christmas treat is sure to be a hit with audiences far and wide.
Christmas at the Tower Museum
Searching for the true spirit of Christmas? Look no further than the award-winning Tower Museum, nestling behind the city walls. There’s all kinds of fascinating festive fun available for all the family on Saturday December 10th and 17th, plus a special £1 per person admission throughout December.
Sporting Fun at the Tower Museum
Location: Education Room, Tower Museum
Date: Saturday, December 10th
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Admission: £1 (includes admission to whole museum)
Information: Call the Tower Museum on (028) 7137 2411 or email tower.reception@derrycity.gov.uk
If Christmas means lots of turkey and chocolate to you and yours it might be an idea to bring the family along to the Tower Museum for an exclusive exercise and healthy living session. Linked to the museum’s new ‘Derry Sporting Heroes’ exhibition, this routine is specially designed to suit all ages and is family friendly. SC1 Sports have devised a short exercise routine and some ideas about nutrition and sleep.
The workshop will include a presentation on health and fitness and you’ll be shown the large range of exercises you can do with a sports ball, a versatile piece of equipment that can be used almost anywhere. You’ll also discover a range of great family fun games that can be played both indoors and outdoors.
The first session starts at 12pm and each session lasts about 35 minutes. SC1 Sports is a multi-faceted sports company that covers various complex aspects of sports from training methods to nutrition and psychology. With four qualified coaches and a sports and exercise science graduate, they can provide workshops for a range of people, including families and sports people, in a range of arenas such as schools, community centres and workplaces.
Christmas Storytelling
Location: Level 1, Armada Exhibition, Tower Museum
Date: Saturday, December 10th
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Admission: £1 (includes admission to whole museum)
Information: Call the Tower Museum on (028) 7137 2411 or email tower.reception@derrycity.gov.uk
Treat your kids to one of the great traditions of Christmas and bring them along to hear some of our best-loved Christmas stories.
Christmas Craft Fair
Location: Education Room, Tower Museum
Date: Saturday, December 17th
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Admission: Free to Craft Fair (special £1 admission to Tower Museum exhibitions)
Information: Call the Tower Museum on (028) 7137 2411 or email tower.reception@derrycity.gov.uk
Coinciding with the Walled City Market, which is being held the same weekend, Derry City Council is hosting this event to raise awareness of the innovative arts and crafts projects that people with disabilities within our community have created. It will be held in the Education Room, which opens out onto the Craft Village.
Christmas Storytelling
Location: Level 1, Armada Exhibition, Tower Museum
Date: Saturday, December 17th
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Admission: £1 (includes admission to whole museum)
Information: Call the Tower Museum on (028) 7137 2411 or email tower.reception@derrycity.gov.uk
Treat your kids to one of the great traditions of Christmas and bring them along to hear some of our best-loved Christmas stories.
Christmas Marquee at Guildhall Square
Derry City Council will be hosting a magical Christmas Marquee in Guildhall Square on the weekends of Dec 10th and 11th and Dec 17th and 18th. Don’t miss enticing cookery demonstrations, festive workshops, captivating storytelling (at the Tower Museum), flamenco dancing, musical acts and some of the most remarkable Christmas characters you’ve ever met.
Saturday Dec 10th
12pm – 4pm
Through the afternoon community chef Brian McDermott will be hosting a series of cookery demonstrations with lots of easy to remember handy tips. And the good news is you get to taste the delicious results afterwards. The beat picks up with the Solas Flamenco dancers performing at 1.30pm and 3pm. Meanwhile, there’s some special yuletide story telling with Ernie Elf at the Tower Museum (1pm, 2pm and 3pm) and a chance to learn all about Christmas tree decorating at a Chenille workshop (1pm – 3pm).
Look out for a Victorian family with a difference. The ‘towering trio’ will be wandering around the area with their newest addition. You have been warned!
Sunday Dec 11th
1pm – 5pm
Chef Emmet McCourt will be serving up fantastic locally sourced festive fare all afternoon in Feast or Famine.
Prepare to be amazed by the madcap antics of the jolly ‘Jesters’, who’ll be entertaining all between 1.30pm and 4.30pm.
Saturday Dec 17th
10am – 4pm
Community chef Brian McDermott will be back with another great selection of cookery demonstrations with recipes you can taste for yourself. The tree decorating Chenille workshop is between 11.30am and 3.30pm and the yuletide storytelling with Gemma at the Tower Museum will be at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. As you wander around the marquee and Christmas Walled City Market you’ll be joined by three of Santa’s naughtiest elves, on the run after escaping from his workshop.
Sunday Dec 18th
12pm – 5pm
Chef Emmet McCourt will be serving up fantastic locally sourced festive fare all afternoon in Feast or Famine.
You’ll be mingling with a host of entertaining characters between 1pm and 4pm when the carol singers enchant you with their melodic timbre, as soon as they can agree on the song, lyrics and key that is! Look out for musical street performers in the strangest places around the Christmas Walled City Market and enjoy a selection of local school and community choirs performing all your festive favourites!
Mayor’s Christmas Festival 2011
WELB Youth Orchestra/City of Derry Youth Choirs
Location: Christ Church
Date: Thursday, December 15th
Time: 8pm
Admission: £6 and £4 (tickets available from the Millennium Forum)
The first of the Mayor’s two traditional Christmas concerts – now a vital part of the city’s festive season - is held in the atmospheric Christ Church. The WELB Youth Orchestra and combined City of Derry Youth Choirs, conducted by Dónal Doherty, Director of the Civic Choirs and Head of Music WELB/SELB, will be performing seasonal favourites like Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Christmas Festival, as well as Howard Blake’s delightful The Snowman, which is narrated by BBC Radio presenter Mark Patterson.
Christmas Walled City Market
Location: Guildhall Square
Date: Saturday, December 17th and Sunday, December 18th
Time: 10am – 5pm (Sat) and 12pm – 5pm (Sun)
Whether you’re looking for a special gift, a tasty treat or just want to soak up the atmosphere of this wonderful market beneath the historic walls, you won’t want to miss this essential part of Derry’s Christmas.
There’s an enticing range of distinctive crafts on offer, like handmade jewellery from the Bead Lady, hand crafted gifts from Pamper-Me-Gifts, Diane’s Wee Quilts and specially imported crafts from around the world at the One World Shop. Look out too for stunning photos from David Montgomery, Brian Doherty’s evocative paintings of Donegal, Pretty Petal’s Handmade floral displays, superb sterling silver jewellery from Castle Jewellers and lots more.
You can also enjoy the usual tempting smorgasbord of wonderful foods from a host of artisan producers. These include specialty meats, like their wonderful smoked bacon, from the Carraig Na Breac SmokeHouse , superb sheep’s milk cheeses and yoghurts from Springwell Farm and the award-winning farmhouse cakes (such as lemon and poppyseed) and breads from Tamnagh Foods.
Taste the world with delicious foods from all over the Caribbean from Windrush Cuisine, sizzling German sausages from Outdoor Catering, enticing American desserts and crepes from Windy City Baking Company, French pastries from Patisserie De Pascal and continental breads and pastries from Piece of Cake Bakery.
There’s Luxury Flossie’s Fudge, Belgian chocolates from Holden’s Chocolates, Bell’s teas and coffees and handmade chutneys and jams from the Hearty Ladle Food Company and many other temptations to delight the foodie in you.
And if that wasn’t enough you can enjoy sparkling entertainment on both days!
9 Carols of Christmas in Aid of Mayors Charities
Location: St Columb’s Cathedral
Date: Sunday December, 18th
Time: 7.30pm
Admission: This is a free event however all donations are welcome to the Mayors chosen charities – Foyle Branch of Parkinsons UK and the Foyle Branch of the MS Society.
Carol Service on the Walls
Location: First Derry Presbyterian Centre/City Walls
Date: Monday, December 19th
Time: 7pm
Admission: Free
Information: Contact Rev David Latimer, First Derry Presbyterian Church on (028) 7126 1550.
Take time out to enjoy the true spirit of Christmas and absorb the unique atmosphere of a traditional carol service on the historic walls. After the great success of last year’s inaugural event it has been decided to make the Carol Service on the Walls an annual event. Organisers Rev David Latimer and Father Canny are extending an invitation to everyone - those of all faiths and none - to come along and get into the festive spirit.
The service, which will be attended by community groups from both sides of the Foyle, will include performances from choirs from Colleges from the maintained and controlled sectors. Afterwards, you are all invited back to warm up with a hot drink at the Tower Hotel.
Transport
Derry City Council is organising transport to the carol service. Buses will be provided from the Waterside and from the Shantallow/Galliagh area to the city centre and will also return.
Bus information
Waterside - Pick up at Lisnagelvin Leisure Centre at 6.15pm; Pick up at Waterside Theatre, Glendermott Road at 6.25pm. Pick up at Spencer Road Car Park (opposite Sandwich Co) at 6.40pm to arrive in the city centre at 6.50pm. The bus will depart from the Tower Hotel after the event at 9pm.
Shantallow/Galliagh – Pick up at Northside Shopping Centre at 6.15pm; Pick up at Shantallow Community Centre at 6.25pm; Pick up at St Peter’s Parish Hall at 6.35pm; Pick up at Da-Vinci's Hotel at 6.40pm to arrive in the city centre at 6.50pm. The bus will depart from the Tower Hotel after the event at 9pm.
Codetta, City of Derry Youth Choir, Orchestra and Soloists
Location: First Derry Presbyterian Church
Date: Thursday, December 22nd
Time: 8pm
Admission: £10 and £6 (tickets available from the Millennium Forum)
The first half of the concert will feature the now traditional performance of part one of Handel’s Messiah, one of the most beautiful pieces of Christmas music ever written. The second half features Derry’s own Codetta, one of the leading choirs in the UK or Ireland, along with the City of Derry Youth Choir, performing favourite Christmas pieces such as Winter Wonderland and Mary’s Boy Child, as well as works by Vittoria and Lauridsen. The acclaimed soloists include Laura Sheerin, Doreen Curran and Ciarán Kelly from Derry and Belfast’s Nathan Morrison. The concert is conducted by Dónal Doherty. Book early to avoid disappointment, these much-loved concerts sell out very quickly.
Christmas Pool Disco for Kids
Location: Lisnagelvin Leisure Centre
Date: Friday, December 2nd
Time: 7pm
Admission: £3 (includes free goodie bag), tickets from reception
Information: Call Lisnagelvin Leisure Centre on 028 7134 7695
What better way to capture the festive spirit than to dance at one of the highlights of Derry’s Christmas programme - Lisnagelvin’s Christmas Pool Disco on December 2nd. For boys and girls aged eight and over.
Christmas Reminiscence Loan Box - NOW SOLD OUT
Location: Tower Museum
Date: Anytime (two weeks duration)
Fee: £5
To book: NOW SOLD OUT Call Fiona Lafferty on 028 7137 2411
Remember those wonderful traditional Christmas’s of the past? Why not stir those memories in the company of your choice with a Christmas Reminiscence Loan Box from the Heritage and Museum Service. The box contains a series of triggers - toys, decorations, cards and festive foodstuffs etc – from the past to kindle memories and start the conversation rolling. Why not invite friends and families around for a few mince pies and use the box to recreate your memories of how Christmas has changed over time. It’s fascinating for all ages, from great grandparents to young children.
You collect and return the box to the Tower Museum and can hold on to it for up to two weeks. There are seven other boxes available in the series – rural life, home life, 1950s, leaving home, schooldays, at the seaside and factory life. Each box contains a resource file containing advice for carrying out a reminiscence session.
