There are only a few short weeks to go until Helensburgh Winter Festival on November 26 and 27, a bumper weekend of fun for all the family.
A spokesman for the ‘Penguin Crew’ organising committee said: “We are all very excited about this year’s winter festival. It is going to be a bumper year with something for everyone regardless of their age.
“Provided the weather is good to us this year we are confident that no-one is going to go away disappointed.”
A highlight of this year’s festival will once again be the skating rink, which will take pride of place in Colquhoun Square with an evening skating disco on the Friday between 4pm and 7pm.
The square will be filed with an array of stalls featuring local businesses, crafts people, community groups, and farmers market stalls – making it one of the biggest street markets in the west of Scotland.
There will be hot food, hot drinks, Christmas sparkle and fabulous goodies, games and gifts for all ages and tastes.
The square, which will be lit by the gorgeous Christmas lights on the trees as well as the lampposts will also be home on both days to children’s fairground rides and sideshows.
One of the most important visitors will of course be Santa Claus, who will be holding court at the Parish Church on both days and will welcome visits for all the local youngsters who want to meet him.
Santa is being hosted during his visit by the Helensburgh Garelochside Rotary Club.
New local business Peninsula Trikes will be providing motorcycle trike rides around the town on both days and it is hoped that Santa will be arriving in style on one of their vehicles.
On Saturday from 11am to 3pm, depending on operational demands, the bomb squad, fire service, marines, MoD Police and Marine Unit are all due to attend. The emergency vehicles will be on Colquhoun Street, just north of the square.
The real reindeer who have been popular regulars at the festival will be back and this year on both days and Molly’s Miniatures, the tiny ponies from Cardross who so delighted adults and youngsters alike last year, will also be joining in the fun.
The performers from Conflux Street Theatre will be performing around the town and members of the Clydebank Mummers Theatre Group will also be providing street theatre.
Some of Scotland’s top tribute bands will be taking to the stage over the weekend brought to town by Best Acts.
At noon on Saturday Paulo Nutini and De Sheeran will be on stage, Freddie Mercury will be on at 1.45 and Littlemix at 2.15pm.
On Sunday Scott Cuthbertson the magician will be dazzling the crowd at 1.15pm and Take This the Take That tribute will be on stage at 2.45pm.
At various times throughout the day on Saturday the Neptune Band will be providing music, as will the Military Wives Choir, and the team from the Helensburgh Leisure Centre will be putting on displays.
The popular kids from the Performance Theatre School will be providing entertainment on stage at 1pm on Saturday as well as helping out over the weekend and on Sunday, Silver Spirit Cheer and Dance, an all ages competitive dance team in cheer, pom, acro, tap, ballet, disco, jazz and hiphop will be on stage at 2pm.
And stirred into the mix will be a variety of fun competitions and games with skating tickets to be won.
The team is also looking forward to a return visit on the Sunday by the MG owners and their classic cars, with seven or eight magnificent motors expected.
The Townhead Farm sheep, who are now very familiar faces at the Festival will be meeting their friends and may even take part in Sunday’s Santa Dash again this year!
The Santa Dash will be run as usual by the Round Table team and will begin at noon on the Sunday. Full details will be announced shortly – once the Tablers have recovered from the fireworks display!
Throughout the weekend a number of local organisations will be adding to the fun with a series of art and cultural events.
Helensburgh’s latest architectural attraction the Mackintosh Club, in the former Conservative Club above M&Co, is joining the Winter Festival fun with a an exhibition and teas on offer for both days. Their exhibition is entitled The Glasgow Four and celebrates the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret, her sister Frances MacNair and her husband Herbert.
The team at the Oak Tree Gallery in East King Street are organising a special art and craft exhibition over the weekend.
The gallery will have four artists, three crafters and a photographer exhibiting on both the Saturday and Sunday. Mince pies and a glass of light refreshment will be on offer to anyone visiting the gallery on both days.
Helensburgh Orchestral Society is performing Strauss’ Die Fledermaus Overture, Adinsell’s Warsaw Concerto, Colin Suckling’ Jigsaw and Tchaikovsky No 1 at the Victoria Halls on Saturday at 7.45pm and Helensburgh Dorian Choir will be singing at their Coffee and Carols event in the United Reformed Church between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday.
Scottish Opera Emerging Artists will be performing at the Helensburgh Parish Church on Sunday at 7pm and the church is also the venue for the Helensburgh and Lomond Primary Schools Christmas-themed concert on Saturday at 11am
Local historian and tourist guide, Stewart Noble, will be conducting town centre walks on both days of the Winter Festival. The walks start at 2 on both days at the Festival Tent and last for about 90 minutes.
There are also a number of special film showings at the Tower Digital Arts Centre over the weekend including a digitally remastered version of From Here to Eternity starring Helensburgh actress Deborah Kerr, playing on the Saturday at 5.30pm.
And of course the whole event will conclude with a fireworks display at the pier on Sunday.
Anyone interested in helping out the Penguin Crew at any point over the Winter Festival Weekend is asked to go the information meeting on Thursday, November 3, at 7.30pm in the Argyll TSI offices or email info@helensburghwinterfestival.co.uk
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