Scottish Maritime Museum Christmas market to kick off with spectacular light show

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

The Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine will kick-off their Christmas Market next wek with a stunning Light Parade alongside Irvine Harbourside as the festive season gets ever closer.

North Ayrshire Council will stage the parade from 6pm on Friday, November 29 to mark the start of the Christmas Market which will run to Sunday, December 1.

As well as visitors to the Christmas Market, the council is keen to involve local businesses and community groups in the Parade, which will also shine a light on the Great Harbour Project which forms part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

Everyone is invited to bring their best lit up costumes or banners and a portable speaker playing Christmas songs to the Parade which will culminate in a light show, entertainment and evening market at the museum.

To help everyone sparkle on the night, the museum will also run a free Light Up Umbrella Workshop this Sunday (November 24) to help visitors make their own illuminated umbrella for the parade.

Tickets for the free Light Up Umbrella Workshop, which will be led by local artist Ellie Swanston and which is funded by the Great Harbour Community Fund, are available on the Museum’s website.

North Ayrshire Provost Anthea Dickson said: “We are delighted to be supporting our partners at the Scottish Maritime Museum and the Light Parade is a fantastic way to open the festivities.

Download the Ayrshire Live app today

The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.

The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.

The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.

“We are excited about our plans for the Irvine Harbourside and the parade gives us a chance to walk the area and give people a flavour of the development that we hope will get underway fairly soon.

“The Light Parade will be lots of fun and hopefully bring residents, community groups and businesses together to celebrate the area as we gear up for Christmas.”

Christopher Woodland, Commercial Manager at the Scottish Maritime Museum, added: “We’re thrilled that the Council is supporting the Scottish Maritime Museum Christmas Market with a fabulous Light Parade and light show in the Courtyard this year.

“With the Light Parade and light show and all the attractions and activities we have planned, this year’s Christmas Market is going to be bigger and offer everyone even more festive fun than ever.”

The Light Parade will assemble at Cunninghame House Car Park (next to Marress House) from 5.30pm and will leave at 6pm, travelling down Harbour Street, looping back up Beach Drive before running along Gottries Road and up the Linthouse Vennel to finish at the Scottish Maritime Museum.

The end of the parade will be marked with 30 minutes of entertainment followed by a spectacular projected light display on the side of the Museum’s historic Linthouse building at 7pm.

Before and after the Light Parade, everyone will be able to enjoy shopping at a host of craft and gift stands and relaxing with entertainment and a bar serving from a converted horse box.

The Scottish Maritime Museum Christmas Market, which is free to enter and extends over three days for the first time this year, will take place from Friday, November 29 to Sunday, December 1.

The weekend will begin with an evening market from 3pm to 8pm on Friday then open between 11am and 4pm over the weekend.

There will be additional highlights on both Saturday and Sunday.

On the Saturday, thanks to a Regional Food Fund award and the support of Ayrshire Food an’ a’ that, visitors will enjoy lively chef demonstrations and a food market showcasing produce from across the region.

The following day, younger visitors will get the chance to meet Santa and fire their imagination crafting Christmas decorations.

The Linthouse will also ring to the sound of local choirs including Coast Harmony (11am) and Whitehirst Park Primary School (2pm).

Tickets for Santa cost £3.50 per child. Tickets for the children’s crafting cost £3.50 per child. Tickets can be booked online at www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.