Self-proclaimed ‘Farmer’s Wife’ Helen Rebanks will star at this year’s Taste Cumbria Christmas festival in Cockermouth.
Plans are well underway for this highlight of the festive season - and it promises to be an absolute cracker. Taste Cumbria Christmas takes place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December 2023.
This year’s event will have two slightly different locations either side of the town’s Cocker Bridge, which is currently closed to traffic. At that end of Main Street there will be entertainment galore, from street theatre to live music and plenty of stalls. Then in Market Place there will be a hot food court, demo stage, fairground rides and loads of family fun. This will also be the setting for the music stage - expect Christmas carols, brass bands and all the tunes to get you in the festive spirit.
The rest of Main Street will remain open to traffic, and Station Street will run one-way as usual. Vehicle access will still be in place down Castlegate to Bitterbeck car park, and along St Helens Street and Kirkgate.
Helen Rebanks, whose first book The Farmer’s Wife: My Life in Days was published in August, farms at Matterdale near Ullswater with her husband James, who shone a spotlight on their family and work on Twitter where he is known as Herdy Shepherd. Helen’s book is a proud memoir, interspersed with the recipes which have played a part in her life. She will be on the Demo Stage on the Sunday.
She will be signing copies of their books in The New Bookshop following their appearances.
The event programme will also include:
- Face painting
- Santa’s Grotto at the Pilates Studio (Saturday only)
- Gingerbread men decorating
- Letters to Santa and Santa’s postbox
- festive balloon sculpting
- Disney Princess walkabout
- Fairground rides
- Producers stalls
- Cooking demo
- Two live music stages
The event is organised by Cumberland Council and Councillor Anne Quilter, Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said:
“This promises to be a brilliant Taste Cumbria festival. All around the town the Christmas lights will be lit, while businesses dress their doorways with lanterns, guaranteeing that everyone will be getting into the festive spirit.
“As a council, we really want to push the ‘shop local’ message and that’s why we bring you so many great events. They boost the local economy by millions of pounds each year - as well as giving everyone great entertainment. There is lots going on across Cumberland. Come and see us - and have a fantastic time!”
This year’s Taste Cumbria Christmas is organised by Cumberland Council, sponsored by Cockermouth Town Council, The Coffee Kitchen Bakery, Iggesunds Holmen and Milburns Solicitors, and supported by Cockermouth & District Chamber of Trade. For the full festival line-up, visit www.visitallerdale.co.uk/taste-cumbria-home
For more information about Taste Cumbria email ellie.jones@cumberland.gov.uk