Community groups and local charities to take centre stage at Christmas market on Thurso Fun Day
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Community groups and local charities will take centre stage at a Christmas market being held as part of Thurso's Fun Day on Saturday.
It will be the first outdoor festive market held by Thurso Community Development Trust (TCDT) and follows on from the Thurso Town Market events earlier in the year.
The difference is that the focus will be on the voluntary and charity sector rather than on crafters and traders. Organisers hope it will bring people together and celebrate the town's community spirit in the run-up to Christmas.
With many community groups and charities having been unable to raise funds in the normal way since the pandemic began, the trust wanted to give them a chance to run stalls on what is traditionally Thurso’s busiest day of the year.
Organisations taking part will include the RNLI, Thurso Youth Club and Thurso Girl Guides, while help and advice will be available from Listening Ear and Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau.
Santa will be in attendance and North Lands Creative will be giving members of the public an opportunity to make their own Christmas baubles with its mobile furnace. Entertainment will include Pentland Brass Band juniors, music supplied by young local people and a dance demonstration.
TCDT chairperson Helen Allan said: “We are very happy to be able to offer the opportunity to these local groups who have experienced difficulties in their fundraising activities throughout the pandemic.
"Many of these groups have helped us in some way to deliver community support activities either through volunteers or by helping us with equipment and resources, so we are delighted to have the market stands funded by Highland Council's Town Centre Fund to assist them. We’ve asked them all to have a Christmas theme and there will be a real festive market feel to the day.”
The market will take place in the Olrig Street gardens, from noon until 4pm.
Meanwhile, Thurso's Christmas lights switch-on has been rescheduled for Friday (December 3) at 6.30pm for 7pm.
The town's Christmas tree blew down in strong winds last week just one day after it was put up in Sir John's Square.
It has since been re-erected using Hugh Simpson's crane. There was a brief road closure alongside Sir John's Square while the job was carried out.
