A number of events featuring giant inflatable monsters and an ice sculpture trail will replace the controversial cancellation of a Christmas market in a neighbouring city. It comes after the Lincoln Christmas Market, which had been running for 40 years, was cancelled early in 2023 due to safety concerns relating to overcrowding.
But the decision was met with mixed opinions and the city council said it intended to replace it with smaller events throughout the year, as well as during the festive season, reports Lincolnshire Live. Council leaders have now confirmed the programme for 2023 events, and hope to build on them more for 2024.
The 2023 programme includes a free music event in the city centre, a monster invasion featuring giant inflatable monsters on city buildings, and a Christmas Lincoln event with an Ice Trail, Christmas lights, and light trail. Some of the dates for the events are below:
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- 1940s weekend : July 22-23
- Lincoln Pride : August 19-20
- Steampunk : August 25-29
- Lincoln Live : September 2-3 - The free music event, dubbed 'Lincoln Live,' is being organised in collaboration with BBC Introducing and will take place in the Cornhill.
This two-day event aims to drive footfall to the city centre with a range of musical performances from local musicians who have featured on the broadcaster’s Introducing show.
- Lincoln Monster Invasion : October 23-29 - Giant inflatable monsters will be placed on the roofs of city centre buildings, creating a family-friendly event that draws inspiration from Monsters Inc rather than horror films.
The inflatables will be secured in place and will also be illuminated, meaning they can be enjoyed even as the darker nights draw in. Although the locations of the monsters haven’t yet been confirmed, there are currently seven potential venues up and down the High Street.
- Lincoln Christmas Light Switch-on : November 23 - The council said it has also committed to investing in Christmas lights, extending them down to St Mark’s and creating Instagram-worthy installations across the city centre.
- Lincoln Ice Trail : December 9-10 - Six traditional ice sculptures dotted around the city centre, similar to the St Barnabas Heart Trail or the Lincoln Barons.
The sculptures will include a combination of traditional Christmas motifs and some more bespoke to Lincoln, such as the Imp. Each sculpture will also be replaced overnight, meaning that visitors on the second day will get the same fresh look on Sunday.
Ice carving demonstrations will also be taking place at Lincoln Cathedral, giving visitors the chance to see the pieces being made.
The city council said other regular events such as the 1940s weekend and the Steampunk Festival will also be enhanced. Portfolio holder for inclusive economic growth, Councillor Naomi Tweddle, said: "A lot of hard work has gone into this to pull quite a lot of events together in such a short space of time, and we hope these are going to be big events.
"This is a new beginning for our events program, which will develop over the years and turn into something fantastic. It will only improve, and for businesses, having events throughout the year is better."
She added: "All of these events are free, which in current times such as the cost of living crisis, it’s important that the city council can put on events for families and visitors that are free to attend and to showcase our amazing city.
"When people go and do these trails, they’ll be using the local shops and local businesses, eating in the restaurants, drinking in the cafes. There’s a huge economic driver on this as well."
The city council said it acknowledges that the events this year will not "entirely replace" the economic benefits the Christmas Market brought due to the late organisation. However, the council says it is committed to delivering a Christmas offering that residents, businesses, traders, and tourists can enjoy while ensuring safety and managing capacity issues.
The 2022 event attracted an overwhelming 70,000 more visitors over four days than its ideal limit.
