THOUSANDS of residents and visitors stepped into the festive spirit at the Redditch Christmas Extravaganza Show.
This free event, organised by Redditch Business Improvement District (BID), is in its second year and is proving to be a massive hit in the town.
Performing at the show were Twist and Pulse, the D Day Darlings and Reuben Buffong alongside Redditch’s Shaun Paul Smith Dance Academy, PQA, Top Box and Palace Youth Theatre.
The food festival included food from around the world, tempting sweet treats crafted by artisan producers and a variety of beverages including cocktail stands and quirky craft items.
Muj Rahman, Redditch BID manager, said: “Once again we have seen the community come together to celebrate the festivities.
“The response we received from the community, and the influx of people from outside Redditch to attend our event has been amazing.
“It was magical to see the town come to life in this way with so many friends and families taking in the atmosphere.
General manager of Kingfisher Shopping Centre Ken Williams said: “The festive extravaganza event has been a tremendous boost to the town, bringing together four community activities into one huge celebration.
“Visitor numbers were 37 per cent higher than the same event last year and 25 per cent higher than what we would typically see on a November Saturday.
“Everyone had a great time singing and dancing along to popular playlists from local and celebrity artists and the star attraction was the young children participating in the community light parade.
“St Stephen’s church saw great support for the community Christmas Tree trail which continues to be in place throughout December.
“This event has certainly shown how the business led improvement group Redditch BID is making great progress in Revitalising Redditch under Muj’s leadership.”
The event was attended by Mayor of Redditch Coun Ann Isherwood.
She said: “What another fabulous event organised by the Revitalise Redditch Team.
“It was wonderful to see so many people attend the event especially on Saturday.
“Having spoken to vendors, they had lots of support from the people of Redditch making it viable to do business in our town again.”
Visit www.redditchbid.co.uk for more information.
