There’s plenty of festive fun in Stretford town centre this December with two very special FREE seasonal events taking place - Stretford Socials on 2nd December 12.00-4.00pm and a Family Fun and Shopping Day on 16th December.
The December Stretford Socials will be a local and independent Christmas shopping special, courtesy of local makers and traders selling seasonal cakes, bakes and gifts. Full of festive cheer, the event will see the Longford Community Choir carol singing by the piano and fundraising for Mind at 1.00pm and Father Christmas will be making a very special appearance too.
Letters to Father Christmas will be launching with stationery provided with the letters posted in the specially sign posted letterbox.
Festive crafting will be provided throughout the day in the SQ and everyone is invited to create their very own Christmas decoration for the Community Tree. Plus Beatties Bakery will be hosting decorate your own Christmas biscuit workshops. Crafting for younger children will be provided by Trafford Council Family Information Service who will be on hand to talk about their services.
The Common Room (the former Bon Marche unit) has been transformed into a deep dark wood themed space and will be hosting Cirkl Studios who will be giving taster sessions on music production for young people and Yoga Cat will also be hosting drop in sessions for all the family, both from 1.00-3.00pm.
There will also be a big focus on seasonal fundraising for local organisations. Stretford Scouts will be taking the pressure off Christmas prep by running a wrapping station with donations going towards fixing their leaky Scout Hut roof.
There will be a pre-loved Christmas jumper, dress and partywear sale in aid of the Little Green Sock Project.
Longford Park Pets Corner, Stretford Food Bank and Stretford in Bloom will also be popping up with the opportunity to donate to their important work in the community.
The FREE Family Christmas Fun Day on 16th December will keep families entertained and is a great way to start the Christmas holidays. Crafting includes a festive Macrame Session hosted by Positive Vibes. Places for the 3.30pm session have to be booked and it’s priced at £8.00 per person.
There will be a bumper range of local traders and makers on hand from 12.00-4.00pm selling Christmas gifts and bakes.
Resident cafe, Uplift, are hosting a festive breakfast featuring a visit from Father Christmas. There’s no need to book, just take a table and order the festive breakfast.
Breakfast with Santa will be followed by a screening of festive favourite, The Gruffalo’s Child at 12:30pm 1:30pm and 2:30pm (no need to book, just drop in) in The Common Room. Meanwhile, the Gruffalo himself will be paying a visit for photos.
All the retailers in the Mall will be open throughout December for Christmas shopping. All the opening hours for the festive period can be found here.
The Stretford Socials are back and this time we're teaming up with The Big Draw Festival, the world’s largest celebration of drawing! Join us in Stretford town centre for a fun-filled, free event that showcases how drawing can boost confidence, spark creativity, and improve well-being, communication and engagement.
An immersive screening of the iconic British film, Bend It Like Beckham is coming to Stretford town centre as part of Stretford’s Summer of Sport events programme. Taking place on Saturday 14th September from 4PM - late, the screening is being held in collaboration with create events collective Girl Gang Manchester, who have also curated an evening of activities that will run in conjunction with the screening.
The Stretford Socials are back on Saturday 7th September 12-4pm with a 'Back to School' special. Head to the town centre for our usual stellar line-up of local makers, bakers and community groups, as well as free creative activities for families. Bring the Summer holidays to a close and celebrate the return to school in the heart of the town centre.