The 90 members of Skibbereen & District Chamber of Commerce are encouraging you to shop local and make Skibbereen your West Cork Christmas Shopping destination. There is a focused campaign to promote shopping in Skibbereen during the festive season, which this year will culminate in a “12 Days of Christmas Draw” where €200 worth of vouchers will be drawn daily at 11am in the square between the 9th and 20th of December for the lucky winners.
Festivities kick off on Friday 5th December with the annual Christmas Parade, which begins at 4:30pm from Ilen St and makes its way to the Square, where this year one lucky winner of a competition run in the local primary schools will have the unique opportunity to switch on the Christmas Town Lights.
Back by popular demand is the convenience of Sunday Shopping in Skibbereen on both the 14th and 21st of December and new this year are Christmas Carriage Rides around town on these days between 2 and 6pm from the Bridge, where a new Crib Scene, thanks to the Community Employment Workers, will also be on display.
The approach to the town is lit by Lights on Living Trees and the chamber would like to acknowledge the hard work undertaken by Mark McCarthy and Paul Daly to create this feature as well as the sterling efforts of Skibbereen Tidy Towns who continue to ensure that Skibbereen looks at its best particularly at this time of year. To keep the atmosphere in town as festive as possible we are also encouraging businesses and shoppers alike to don a hat for “Santa Hat Saturday” on 13th December.
The excitement is already building for the festive season in Skibbereen as two exciting new ventures open in town on Friday December 5th - “Frozen World” at the Paragon and “Santa’s Secret Garden” l launches at the Eldon. Also returning to the West Cork Hotel on Sunday 21st December is the popular Family Funday Sunday which always proves to be a great hit with all the family.
If you love a bargain, discount promotions will run in participating businesses over the weekend from the 5th to 8th December and on Saturday the 20th of December keep an eye out for Santa’s Elves who will be around town helping out where they can. Finally, don’t forget that the Over 60s 10% discount promotion continues every Tuesday and that Skibbereen offers free town parking too!