Newark Market Place Christmas shopping spectacular set to bring hope and joy to town

The first evening market in 20 years is coming to Newark as part of a range of pre-Christmas activities on Sunday that are set to bring the cheer.

Coming hot on the heels of the town’s big Christmas lights switch-on party, there will be some 120 festive stalls and street food traders in the Market Place on Sunday, including at least three teenage traders who attended the Teenage Market in September.

Entertainment during the course of the afternoon and evening in the market place will be provided by six local bands and solo artists.

Four sets of professional street entertainers will provide walkabout performances, as well as four local teams of Morris dancers.

Among those present will be Newark and Sherwood Concert Band and Nicci Hindson and her dancing dog Elsa.

Included in the event will be a torchlight procession by around 100 Steampunkers at 6.20pm — from the base of Kirkgate to, and around, the Market Place.

The Steampunk procession will be led by Newark-based Hot dogs Brass Band and the street performers.

A road closure will be in place at Kirkgate from 6pm to 7pm.

The castle grounds will host a lights spectacular initiated by the district council and the parish church will be open for the final day of the Christmas Tree Festival.

Town council markets manager Ian Harrison said: “This is the first evening market at Newark for over 20 years and to celebrate that, we have put together a packed programme of entertainment and using a light theme we want to showcase our beautiful town centre and its rich heritage buildings, and not least our fantastic Christmas lights and trees.

“We are also very pleased and excited to welcome some 100 of the Newark Steampunk Association and their associates who at 6.20pm will form a procession with flame torches on a route up Kirkgate and around the Market Place to be formally greeted by the Town Mayor Lisa Geary. This event will hopefully put the icing on the cake as we come to the end of a trial six-month strategy by the town council, supported by the district council, to provide a diverse programme of entertainment in the Market Place and town centre to help attract and sustain footfall which is essential to the sustainability of the town centre retail community.

“And while the pandemic is not over, it’s important to be able to provide some much-welcomed entertainment to the local community in a relatively safe environment in the open air.”

A road closure on Church Street, around the market place and part of Stodman Street will be in place from Saturday evening until 10.30pm on Sunday to facilitate the activities.

The Sunday market runs from 3.30pm to 9.30pm and all council carparks are free on the day.