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Festive Market to Launch Penicuik’s Christmas

A new festive iteration of the Penicuik First monthly market is set to open a weekend of celebrations in the town.

On Friday 4 December, stallholders at the town’s monthly market will welcome you with added festive cheer to usher in the festive season preceding the town’s official Light Night on the following day.

The town’s fledgling Business Improvement District, Penicuik First, will host its monthly market in the shopping precinct on the first Friday on December. However, there will be a distinct festive flavour this month with illuminated stalls set against a backdrop of Christmas carols. In a change to the annual programme, the switch on of the illuminations will take place at 3pm on the Friday. Citizen of the Year, Brian Christie, will invite a local school child to do the honours with an musical accompaniment provided by 2 Scot’s pipe band. The market will then continue to the later time of 5pm allowing a wider variety of shoppers to attend.

On Saturday 5 December, Penicuik Community Council will host their annual Christmas Fair from 10am to 2pm in Penicuik Town Hall. Here local community groups and charities will see various goods and offer information about their causes. Following this, at 3pm, the celebrations will move outside into the shopping precinct where music and other entertainment acts will keep the crowd pleased until the official light switch on at 4pm. Brian Christie will push the button and plunge the town into the festive spirit for another year.

Penicuik Market organiser, Marketcraft, told us that the double switch on will make the event accessible to all. He added that the Christmas Market will welcome more new stallholders.

Business Improvement District co-ordinator Eddie Linton-Smith continued with a plea to local businesses to get involved:

Penicuik First would like to encourage all town centre businesses to get in touch (team@penicuikfirst.com) if they plan to open late, offer festive discounts or host events throughout the season. Every effort will then be made to promote this and let everyone know that Penicuik town centre is a great place to shop and have fun this Christmas!

Penicuik of course isn’t the only town to host a a Christmas Market. Nearby village, West Linton will launch their festivities on Thursday 26 November. A special Christmas market will run in their New Church Hall from 6-8:30pm. Fresh Christmas Wreaths will be on sale alongside other festive goods and foods.

We’ll be live from all of Penicuik’s Christmas events and posting regular photos on our Facebook and Twitter pages. join the conversation using the hashtag #CuikXmas.