Lisburn lights up for Christmas

Lisburn City Centre lit up in spectacular colour for Christmas at its Switch-On Event last Thursday night.

Crowds on the night lined Bow Street and Market Square and entertainment was provided from popular super-hero characters Batman and Robin, Spiderman, the Ninja Turtles and the Transformers.

The magical Christmas Parade weaved its way through Bow Street and included stilt-walking reindeers, roller-skating snowmen, dance groups, a lit-up fairy toadstool, the dramatic Ice-Queen, Christmas fairies, Minions and Frozen characters. Local schoolchildren from five primary schools paraded with specially created lanterns and Santa Claus wished everyone a very Merry Christmas from the stage in Market Square.

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The Mayor, Councillor Thomas Beckett, led the countdown for the switching on of the Christmas Tree and City Centre lights. He said: “There are a number of people to thank for their valuable input to the Switch-On Event.

“Our thanks go to Pond Park Primary School’s choir of the year for the beautiful carol singing. Dundonald Community Concert Band also performed on the night and played wonderfully. Local schoolchildren participated in the Parade and the schools received arts workshops to make lanterns for the children, which they kept after the event. A group from Gransha performed in the Parade and SERC Performing Arts Students performed on the night and provided crowd entertainment. A host of parade performers made the night a success, and of course, the Events Team from the Council’s Corporate Services Department organised the Switch-On.

“I would also like to thank my Mayoral Chaplain Pastor Ritchie and the PSNI for working with our Event Organisers as well as the Council’s Operational Services Team for the Event set-up and take-down, and our Health and Safety Unit,” he concluded.

A lights display from the Irish Linen Centre brought the evening to a close.

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The primary schools were Ballymacash Primary, Old Warren Primary, Brownlee Primary, Lisburn Central Primary and Wallace Prep. Local community based groups that took part were Naomi Orr School of Dance and Granshaw Youth.

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