Christmas carol’s in Milton Keynes this December

The Dickens of a Christmas event in Olney is a festive staple on the calendar, and really sets the mood for advent. This year’s seasonal jolly will take over the town on Sunday, December 1.

Stallholders – dressed in period costume – will be selling their wares in Market Place and outside the Maya Restaurant, and the street will be bustling with families soaking up all the cheer.

Those stalls will run the entire length of the town, and craft fairs will be hosted in The Olney Centre. Street organ entertainers, singers, and the Olney Brass Band will all be delivering on the sound front.

The town will be packed with people, so if you are travelling, make use of the Park and Ride service which will run from Emberton Park and the Yardley Road Industrial Estate – it’s the smart way to journey in.

Anyone for a mulled wine or two? We’ll join you!

The Friday prior to the Dickens delivery, Olney’s retailers will host a special seasonal late night for shoppers; the chance to pop out after work and shop ‘til you drop without needing to race around the superstores!

Olney has a wonderful array of boutiques, craft shops and much more – just perfect for picking up unique, original presents that your nearest and dearest will love.

Stanwick Lakes will present a two day Frost Fair (Nov 23 & 24) giving you the opportunity to put some pennies and pounds in the pockets of artisan makers, and you’ll be taking ownership of some cool crafted pieces for seasonal gifts.

And closer to the big day, you can let your voices loose and stretch your legs with a Lantern Walk & Lakeside Christmas Carols (Dec 21 &22).
For more details of the sparkly sing-a-long visit stanwicklakes.org.uk

Duston’s Community Centre is hosting a weekend of seasonal stuff (Nov 30 & Dec 1) – flick through our guide for details of their meet and greet with Santa, and their Christmas Tree Festival.

The free tree event also includes a market (Sat) with stallholders taking attention with gifts, homemade wares and tasty treats, and there will be festive fare on the Sunday, with a session of Afternoon Tea.
Go on, treat yourselves!
Want to bring your Christmas tree to the event, or pre-book for that tasty tea? Drop an email to events@duston-pc.gov.uk

Olney’s St Peter & St Paul Church is preparing to play host to the Bedford Gallery Quire on Saturday, November 30.
The scene will be set, with the music being aired among the festive trees lined up inside for inspection. The traditional Christmas Concert begins at 7.30pm.

A day later, the town transforms itself for a Dickens of a Christmas – and the holy space will be filled by choirs during the day. You can join in with a good old carol session at 4pm.

In Newport Pagnell, enjoy Carols by Candlelight (Dec 22, 7pm) at St Peter & St Paul, with the church promising ‘a joyful service with readings and carols to rejoice in song and prayer’.

There are other chances to unite in song, too, with carols at All Saints in Lathbury
(Dec 15, 6pm) and at St Mary’s in Moulsoe (Dec 22, 5pm).

Stalls, homemade cakes and preserves and school choirs singing for you are just a few of the things to be expected at the Christmas Fair at St Peter & St Paul Church in Newport Pagnell, running alongside the town’s seasonal lights switch-on (Nov 30).

Once that switch has been flicked, town residents and visitors will head into the confines of the church for carol singing and warming mulled wine.

While on the subject of Newport Pagnell, the Churches Together movement presents Finding the Nativity (Dec 21, 10.30am).

Children will be given trail maps and must navigate their way around the town, finding seasonal figures including the wise men, shepherds and Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

At each character stop, there will be a little activity to complete, and – eventually – everyone will end up at the United Reform Church/Mead Centre for carols.

Carols at the Cathedral returns for Christmas 2024 in the new city of Milton Keynes, with Newlands’ natural church space providing a festive, and very unique setting.

Pull on your cosy clobber, remembering the scarves and hats, grab your lantern and make tracks (Dec 8 , 2-5pm) for festive nibbles, live music, performances and, of course, traditional sing-a-long carolling. Voices at the ready.

More info at theparkstrust.com/events