Christmas and New Year alternatives

With popular annual events leading up to Christmas and New Year being cancelled because of the continuing pandemic, here are the alternatives being organised across the Rochdale borough to help make sure Christmas 2020 is still fun and enjoyable.

All events will be added to the Rochdale Online events page with full details when available.

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Heywood

Heywood Township has taken the decision to cancel this year’s Christmas Festival, but the town’s lights will be discreetly switched on in the weeks coming up to Christmas.

The date and time have not been disclosed, as the township wants people to stay at home and keep safe.

Littleborough

Social distance filming of the lights being switched on is under discussion. Details are to be revealed.

Middleton

Middleton Town Centre Management will be streaming the Middleton lights switch on event via Facebook and YouTube. Again, this will be filmed at an undisclosed venue. There will be no entertainment, physical switch on or fireworks in Middleton Gardens.

Middleton Town Centre Management said: “Whilst this will be completely different to what we are used to doing, we hope that we can still provide you all with some Christmassy entertainment in the safety and comfort of your front room and also show case the talent of some of our local youngsters.

“We really hope you'll all log on and 'virtually' join us at our very unique, fun and Covid-19 safe streaming event.”

Norden

Norden Environmental & Economic Village Association (NEEVA) has approached local schools to encourage pupils to make bauble decorations which will be used to decorate the village’s shop windows in a flurry of festive colour. Baubles should be approximately 10 inches in diameter and ideally waterproof.

You can add your own contribution by dropping off decorations at Norden Co-op, which will be made into bunting for the village – or even create your own bunting to drop off.

These will be collected in the first two weeks of November, and will complement the new lamppost decorations secured through ward funding and a contribution from NEEVA.

Chairman of NEEVA, Paul Ellison said: “From the early stages of setting up this village event, we could not have anticipated how quickly this event would grow.

“We are so disappointed that this event will not be going ahead this year, due to Covid, but on the other hand, it will give us another 12 months to try and make the event in 2021 so much bigger and better.”

Rochdale

The Christmas lights in Rochdale town centre will be switched on next month, but the main switch-on show event and indoor festive market at the town hall have been cancelled. Details will be confirmed soon about an online virtual celebration as the lights and displays go on to mark the start of the festive season in Rochdale, featuring Father Christmas, The Mayor Councillor Billy Sheerin and special guests. The council is also be asking residents to share their own Christmas lights switch-on videos on social media, whether you’re lighting your tree at home, having fairy lights or lanterns in your doorway, garden or window.

Whitworth

Whitworth Town Council will be delivering a socially distanced Santa Express instead of the annual lights switch on this year.

Father Christmas will be travelling through the town in a custom-built sleigh between 6pm and 8pm on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December. He will be sledding between Broadley and Shawforth and calling at most of the residential areas on the way driving slowly to allow families to wave as he passes by. 

It would be impossible to cover every single street, but the volunteers have worked hard to ensure that you won’t have far to go to see him drive by.

Children who live in Whitworth are encouraged to take part in a colouring competition ahead of the event. Draw and colour a picture of Father Christmas on his sleigh and make sure to include your name, age, address, and a contact telephone number for your responsible adult. You can use a drawing app or draw the traditional way and scan it in, you can even make a moving picture in scratch or a similar application if you wish. 

Email entries to tlcchristmas2020@gmail.com by Monday 23 November.

Watch out on Facebook for a Santa Express schedule nearer the time.

The ever-popular New Year’s Duck Race, which usually takes place at Cowm Reservoir on 1 January, will also take place virtually to kick off 2021.

The race is organised by Whitworth’s Tourism and Leisure Committee and CLAW (the Community Leisure Association of Whitworth) and raises funds for events and services in the local community, typically drawing hundreds of spectators to the event.

You ‘sponsor’ a duck for £1, which is then entered into the race. There will be four cash prizes of £100, £75 and £50 and £10. You can sponsor a duck now at the Whitworth Council Office, Riverside, Leisure Centre and many other local businesses until the week before the event. 

You can also purchase ducks online to avoid cash handling using this link:

• www.whitworth.gov.uk/events/Annual_New_Years_Day_Duck_Race