Chester BID Unveils Exciting Christmas Activities for 2024

Chester BID is excited to announce a spectacular line-up of festive activities for 2024 aimed at spreading Christmas cheer, supporting local businesses, and ensuring a vibrant visitor experience throughout the city. From magical grottos and marmalade-loving bears to captivating parades and parking incentives, Chester’s Christmas celebrations promise to be bigger and better than ever.

Paddington Visits…Foregate Street

Come along and share a marmalade sandwich and a selfie with Paddington! This statue was funded by Chester BID as part of Paddington Visits, a trail of Paddington Bear statues across the UK and Ireland to celebrate the forthcoming release of PADDINGTON IN PERU, arriving in cinemas on November 8th.

Santa’s Enchanted Grotto Returns for Fourth Year

Chester BID’s popular Santa's Enchanted Grotto is back for its fourth year, with the theme of ‘A Journey Through Fairytales and Storybooks’. Taking place in St. Michael’s Row within the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, the Grotto will run from November 22 to December 24. More than 4,000 visitors pass through its doors annually, becoming a must-see staple of the festive season. Book via https://bit.ly/chestergrotto 

As in previous years, the Grotto will also support local charity Platform for Life, combining festive magic with a commitment to the community.

12 Days of Christmas Parade

Chester BID will once again fund the 12 Days of Christmas Parade, which is organised by Cheshire West and Chester Council. Taking place on November 21, the parade is expected to draw over 10,000 visitors to Chester’s city centre. 

Free Parking at Chester Racecourse

Save on parking and spend time in the city! Chester BID is once again funding free parking at Chester Racecourse every weekend in the lead-up to Christmas. 

Free parking will be available every Saturday and Sunday from November 23 to December 22, beginning at 10am each day. The full schedule is as follows:

Saturday 23rd November | Sunday 24th November
Saturday 30th November | Sunday 1st December
Saturday 7th December | Sunday 8th December
Saturday 14th December | Sunday 15th December
Saturday 21st December | Sunday 22nd December

Christmas Shop Front Competition

Chester BID is also bringing back its popular Christmas Shop Front Competition. Your city centre businesses will be decorating their windows and storefronts with creativity. Keep your eyes peeled across Chester BID socials to cast your vote this year and choose your favourite festive window display.

Chester Gift Card – The Perfect Present

Accepted at a wide variety of retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues across Chester, the Chester Gift Card offers a versatile and thoughtful present for any recipient. Supporting independent and national businesses, the gift card has been active since 2021 and can be purchased at chestergiftcard.com or the Visitor Information Centre on Town Hall Square.

Spend Christmas In Chester Gift Guide

Popular gifting products for the festive seasons have been hand-picked by businesses across the city from much-loved brands to independents, all wrapped up in Chester BID's Spend Christmas In Chester Gift Guide. This is a free digital guide featuring products from across every sector. View here https://experiencechester.co.uk/christmas

Carl Critchlow, CEO of Chester BID, said:
"Our goal this Christmas is to enhance the visitor experience and ensure Chester continues to thrive as a top city for the festive season. Through our wide range of activities, we aim to ensure that the entire city feels alive with Christmas cheer. Not only are we promoting Chester as a must-visit destination, but we’re also supporting local businesses by encouraging footfall and increasing dwell time across the Christmas period."

Find out more information about Christmas in Chester here: https://experiencechester.co.uk/christmas/