Publication Date: 03-12-2025 09:00
Children hear stories from Father Christmas at Great Dunmow celebration
Great Dunmow Christmas Celebration took place on Friday evening (28 November) bringing a festive feel to the streets and giving children a chance to sit down with Father Christmas to hear him read a story.
During the evening fair rides, pony rides, feeding the llamas, live music, late night shopping, and food and drink stalls kept visitors entertained, and the event attracted around 4,500 people from around the area.
More than 180 children joined story sessions throughout the evening at Le Petite Parisien café in town where Father Christmas read tales and the children all received a gift at the end.
The sessions were sponsored with a £400 donation from Bellway Essex, which is building homes locally at its Sapphire Fields at Great Dunmow Grange and Maplewood Grove developments.
The annual celebration, now in its 14th year, is put on by the Great Dunmow Town Team, which is made up of local businesses.
One of the event organisers Nikki Anthony, from the Wardrobe women’s fashion boutique, said: “Our Great Dunmow Christmas Celebration marks the start of the festive season for many of us in town.
“We don’t receive any grants for it so it’s fantastic that Bellway were prepared to get involved and give us a donation sponsoring the Father Christmas storytelling sessions.
“We put on the Christmas Celebration to showcase the town to visitors and to say thank you to customers who support our independent businesses all year round. There are many costs involved from security and insurance to health and safety, and without this kind of help we wouldn’t be able to put on events like this. The support is so important, and we are very grateful for it.”
Bellway Essex Sales Manager Kate Jones said: “The Great Dunmow Christmas Celebration was a thoroughly festive occasion with plenty to keep all ages entertained. It was a great way to get people in the town into the Christmas spirit.
“As a local homebuilder and being very keen to get involved in the community and support occasions that bring people together, we were very happy to contribute £400 towards the event. It was delightful to be able to sponsor something as wonderfully festive as Father Christmas reading stories to little ones.”
To find out more about the new homes Bellway is building in Great Dunmow, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/sapphire-fields-at-great-dunmow-grange or https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/maplewood-grove.
