Kendal Mountain & Sky Christmas Lights Switch On Event

This year’s Mountain and Sky Christmas Lights Switch-on in Kendal will see the event team up with the town’s famous Mountain Festival and Dark Skies Cumbria for a joint celebration of light and dark.

Residents are invited to the Mountain Festival Basecamp, at Abbot Hall Park, for welcome films from 5pm. A colourful family parade, led by a band and stilt walkers, will leave the Festival’s basecamp at 5.30pm, winding its way along Waterside and up into Market Place.

Father Christmas and his sleigh will be in attendance, as will Amabile Choir singing beautiful carols before the Mayor of Kendal turns on the lights when the parade arrives in Market Place. But this year, in another new twist, the Market Place lights will also be momentarily dimmed as the Cumbria Dark Skies team will demonstrate the importance of creating dark skies for the wellbeing of all.

To continue to Mountain Festival connection, Andrei Burton will perform his infamous Mountain Bike tricks in the Market Place.  

Also, in the town’s Market Place there’ll be mulled wine, music and a classic fairground ride to add to the Christmas magic which is open to all from 5.30pm if the parade part is not suitable.

Cllr Helen Ladhams, who chairs the Town Council’s Christmas Lights and Festivals committee said: ‘We’ve had a long-held ambition to team up with the Mountain Festival and it’s great to work together on the event this year. Last year’s switch on was cancelled when the Market Place Christmas tree was damaged by Storm Arwen, and the year before we were in the middle of a Covid lock down so it feels like the right time to create something fresh and different for the town’.

The Mountain and Sky Christmas Lights Event is on Thursday 17 November 2022. For more info and update follow the Kendal Christmas Lights Switch On Facebook Page.