Evesham is a beautiful, historic market town situated next to the river Avon. It’s home to a range of unique, independent cafes, restaurants and pubs and several wonderful shops, as well as some brilliant events. Here are eight events, attractions and activities to witness this Christmas.

1. All Things Wild’s Santa and Twinkle Town Experience

When: 27 November – 24 December

Where: All Things Wild, WR11 7QZ

Festive photo opportunities, reindeer and a new Santa’s grotto are just some of the things you can experience if you visit All Things Wild this Christmas as part of their ‘Santa and Twinkle Town’ day pass. Find out what else you can get up to.

Prices start from £10. There’s limited availability so make sure you book your tickets asap.

2. Light switch on

When: 27 November

Where: Market Place, Evesham,

The fun starts at midday in Market Place with children’s fairground rides, stalls, food, drink and Santa’s grotto for those early present requests. There will also be a Santa and Reindeer parade at 3pm with the lights going on at 5.30pm followed by a fireworks display.

There will be free parking on the day in all Wychavon pay and display car parks from 2pm.

3. Elf Day – arts and crafts

When: 10am-4pm, 4 December

Where: Kaz & Annie’s, Vine Mews, WR11 4RE

Christmas is a season of giving and this year Evesham-based art studio, Kaz & Annie’s, is asking you to get arty for charity. Decorate an elf in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. For more information, call Kaz on 01386 304878 

Kaz & Annie’s provides pottery-painting, decopatch and Powertex workshops for all ages – it’s the perfect trip out for the kids.

4. Hampton Ferry Christmas Fayre

When: 1pm-4pm, 4 December  

Where: Hampton Ferry, 

Take a trip to Hampton Ferry for some festive cheer at the Christmas Fayre. You can tuck into mince pies and milled wine and sing along to carols all in aid of fundraising for The Lighthouse Project. No booking required.

On Tuesdays and Sundays in December, Raphael’s Restaurant will be serving lunchtime carveries between 12:30pm-2:30pm. On Boxing day, you can feast upon an all-you-can-eat traditional English breakfast buffet. We’d suggest booking – to book, call 01386 45460.

5. Talking post boxes

When: 6 December – 19 December

Where: Riverside Shopping Centre, Evesham, WR11 4RD

We’ve teamed up with Free Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire to bring a talking post box into Evesham, where kids can post their letters to Santa. If your child’s letter is read our on-air they may be in with a chance of winning prizes. More info will be released soon.

6. Free Christmas Roadshow

When: 11 December

Where: Market Street, Evesham

Our Christmas roadshow will be visiting Market Street in Evesham on 11 December. There will be Christmas music, giant games including Connect 4 and Jenga as well as the opportunity for you to test your skills on the rodeo reindeer or rodeo Christmas pudding.

You can also grab a festive snap with friends in the photobooth, which comes complete with props, as well as enjoy delicious candy floss and popcorn and all free of charge.

Whatever the weather on the day, it is guaranteed there will be some white stuff thanks to the snow machine.

These roadshows are part of Wychavon District Council’s Be Curious this Christmas campaign which is encouraging people to explore the local businesses they have on their doorstep. It also highlights the important role they play in community life.

A series of videos have been produced telling the personal stories of local business owners and their passion for what they do. Check them out. The campaign also highlights the fact that by shopping local, people are backing local people and supporting the place where they live.

7. Shop and dine in Evesham Town Centre

If you’re looking for the perfect gift to buy your loved one, consider shopping in Evesham. It’s home to a number of independent shops such as:

Carva Clothing – Fabulous boutique selling Italian-inspired plus sized womenswear.

Pride Clothing – Independent menswear store selling stylish, popular brands such as Nike, Adidas, Luke and Gym King.

Kaz & Annie’s – art studio providing pottery painting, Decopatch and Powertex workshops for all ages.

Of course, this isn’t a full list of what’s on offer, these are just a few that have provided prizes for our ‘Win Christmas with Worcestershire’s Vale & Spa’ Free Radio giveaway. You can browse all of Evesham’s shops using our new shopping directory.

While you’re there, why not get a bite to eat or something to drink in one of the town’s eateries? Discover places to eat using our new food & drink finder

8. Christmas Dog Parade

When: 10-11am, 19 December

Where: The Valley, Evesham, WR11 4DS

Who doesn’t love dogs! The Valley’s popular Christmas Dog Parade is back, and they can’t wait to see your adorable four-legged friends at the mall. The parade is free and is very much a social event as medals won’t be on offer this year, but you can enjoy festive music and a spot of shopping.

To check out the top things to see and do in Worcestershire’s Vale & Spa’s other towns, visit our blog.