Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Arts Council England have organised the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights which will take place on Friday November 16th between 3.45pm and 5.30pm.

Entertainment in the town centre event will kick off from 3.45pm. Crowds can expect street entertainers performing a number of different genres of music including Brass, Samba, and Pop as well as the popular Drumming Santa’s and the hugely colourful lit up Shanti Garuda Bird.

Around 550 school children from 12 local schools will then take part in a lantern parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor David Hurley, which will start at Community Square at 4.30pm with the switching on of the Christmas tree lights. The schools have been working with Same Sky on Christmas Lanterns which they will showcase during the parade.

The parade will then go via Windmill Street, New Road, through the St Georges Shopping Centre before finishing at Gravesham Borough Market with the Christmas Lights being switched as the parade passes. Once the parade reaches the Market there will be a performance on stage by the Cohesion Plus produced ‘Drumming Santas’ and performances from the cast of the Woodville Pantomime ‘Peter Pan’.

Gurvinder Sandher the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus commented “We are really looking forward to the Christmas Parade and Light switch on this year. A lot of hard work has taken place in the build-up and we believe it will be an excellent showcase of how the arts can bring communities together to celebrate all that binds us together in the Town regardless of faith and background. As ever we are very grateful for the ongoing support provided by Arts Council England and Gravesham Borough Council which allow our artistic vision to become a reality.”