Garstang and Beyond in Lights!
Garstang and the villages around are a great place to visit any time of year but they are particularly lovely at Christmas
In the early 1980’s Garstang became one of the first towns in our area to have their own Christmas lights. The Chamber of Trade took it upon themselves to hire festoon lighting from Blackpool and with help from locals got ladders out one Wednesday afternoon and put the lights up themselves.
These days people from across the town fundraise to ensure that the town is ‘lit up’ during the festive season. This year the Garstang light switch on will be virtual so we can all join from the comfort of your own homes on Facebook Live. Search Garstang’s Christmas Lights which starts at 6pm on Monday 23rd November. The virtual switch on will be a traditional family celebration with music, carols and a warm festive feeling!
The villages surrounding Garstang, such as Barton, Bonds, and Catterall all go to town at this time of year with beautiful festive displays along their main high streets.
The hugely popular Victorian Christmas Festival has had to be cancelled for the second year running due to Covid. However, the town still has lots going on this festive period there is the Christmas Fair (4th December) and the very popular Santa Dash (5th December).
Garstang and the villages really have a community spirit which has been evident over the last 18-months. The retailers have pulled together to make sure that visitors and locals feel safe when they are shopping. Many outlets particularly Barton Grange Garden Centre have had to adapt to do business differently.
There are lots of independent stores in these areas which are perfect for finding a unique gift. These shops include home wares, flowers, jewellery and a beautiful art shop which sells art and craft handmade in the UK with many local Lancashire artists.
Garstang market is a traditional weekly outdoor market held every Thursday and it dates back to the charter established in the reign of Charles II. It takes place along Garstang High Street and Church Street. Its stalls offer everything from plants, clothing, footwear, household goods and fresh produce.
Once you have finished your shopping there are plenty of pubs, coffee shops and tearooms to grab something to eat. If you have some spare time, there are lots of lovely walks all round the area, visit visitgarstang.com/walks for some inspiration.
Make sure you shop local this Christmas, Garstang and the local villages are a great place to start.
