PENARTH looks set for snow this Sunday (November 30) – just in time for the “Once Upon a Time” Christmas Parade.
The highlight of this year’s parade will be The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
A land train style lorry over 40 feet in length, generously donated by Freight Systems Express (Wales) and decorated as Narnia by Andy Bradshaw of Hamptons, will wind its way through the streets of Penarth during the parade.
The White Witch, self proclaimed queen of Narnia, will be led on her chariot by a life size polar bear and in the snowy wastes behind her, Father Christmas will ride in his sleigh.
The Pevensey children together with Mr Tumnus will be surrounded by a snowy landscape complete with snowflakes, icicles and fir trees.
As the music, organised by Danny Chang, reaches its peak the snow will hopefully fall and Christmas magic will arrive in Penarth.
The “Once Upon a Time” Christmas Parade is being organised by the Penarth Chamber of Trade and Penarth Town Council and leaves West House on Stanwell Road at 2pm on Sunday.
Volunteers from the Penarth Youth Project will be handing out free flags and balloons to all of the children in the crowd before the parade – led by Penarth’s new Town Crier.
Following the theme of “Once Upon a Time” other entries in the parade include Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, The Pied Piper of Hamlyn, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, James Bond, characters from S4C, Aladdin, The Night Before Christmas, the Nativity, and the Once Upon a Time open top bus complete with all your favourite fairy tale characters.
Father Christmas will leave the parade in Windsor Road and is looking forward to meeting all the children of Penarth in Lower Glebe Street between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.
During the afternoon and leading up to the Grand Switch-On of the Christmas Lights, the Jane Clarke School of Dance will perform Hairspray, the Copthorne Hotel Performers will present their Christmas Spectacular Show from the main stage followed by Penarth’s very own Neil Lashley-Craven with his brilliant tribute to the Rat Pack and Michael Bublé.
The Grand Switch On event will be hosted by the gorgeous Miss Fran Donovan of TV sports fame. As we near the countdown to the switch on at 5pm, Fran will welcome Ceri Dupree as Housewife and Superstar Dame Edna Everage.
Together with Penarth Town Mayor, Cllr Maureen Kelly Owen, Dame Edna will hit the button to turn on the 2008 Penarth Christmas lights.
For full details of the Christmas Parade, the Grand Switch on of the Lights and the whole Christmas Festival visit www.penarthfestival.com or pick up a copy of the Christmas Festival Brochure from businesses in the town.
* SHOPS and businesses will be competing to win the title of ‘Best Christmas Window’ this festive season.
The Christmas window competition follows the success of the Best Pirate Window Competition as part of the Summer Festival, which was won by Hamptons, Cancer Research UK and La Brouette.
Throughout December, shop windows in the town will be sparkling with jewels, bows, baubles and glitter together with a dusting of snow and some festive characters.
The event is organised by the Penarth Chamber of Trade - and PCT President Peter Knowles is looking forward to this year's event.
“The Window Competition plays an important role in the Penarth Christmas Festival” he said.
“We hope that the people of Penarth will take part in the competition and support their local shops during the Christmas period.
“Local businesses play a vital role in helping to create the wonderful environment in Penarth that we all enjoy.”
Penarth Times readers have the opportunity to help the King and Queen of Once Upon a Time Land to choose the best Christmas window. To take part all you have to do is visit each of the shops and decide which you think is best.
The official “Once Upon a Time” voting form will be published in next week's Penarth Times, so don’t forget to pick up your copy.
There will be prizes donated by local businesses for three of the lucky people who choose the winning window.
Penarth Town Council have issued a programme of events for the Penarth Christmas Parade and Grand Switch On.
*The event will commence at 1pm with the Salvation Army providing festive musical entertainment from the stage area - which will be at the junction of Lower Glebe Street and Windsor Road.
*At 2pm the Christmas Parade, based on the theme ‘Once Upon a Time’, will leave West House led by the Penarth Town Crier, ‘Big’ Dave Horgan.
*At 3.30pm, when Father Christmas will need to return to Lapland, the Copthorne Hotel Entertainers will perform their Christmas Spectacular from the stage.
*At around 4.15pm, Neil Lashley-Craven will perform songs by Michael Buble and the Rat Pack.
*At 4.45pm the fabulous Ceri Dupree as Dame Edna Everage will arrive to assist the Town Mayor, Councillor Maureen Kelly Owen, to countdown to the switch on of the town centre Christmas lights.
*From 1.30pm to 6pm the Penarth Youth Project will be opening its doors and staging a mix of music of all genres, big screen, Wii and Playstation, manicures, beauty treatments, battle of the Bots and pool plus free food, punch and giveaways.
