A glimpse of this year’s Christmas Light Night festivities has been revealed in Dundee.
Fire-eater Captain Duncan Smith was at the McManus Galleries to represent the hundreds of local acts gearing up to take part in the city’s biggest street party of the year on November 25.
Councillor Will Dawson said: ”This year’s line-up is bigger than ever. The whole of the city turns into a Christmas wonderland showcasing some of Dundee’s best talent.
”An enormous amount of preparation is now under way by local groups and residents, who are working hard to ensure the event is a success on the night.”
The festivities open with a peal of church bells and end with a fireworks display. In between, the varied programme will cater for all tastes, said Jennifer Caswell from the One City, Many Discoveries campaign.
”We want to let people know that Christmas Light Night is coming and to get people thinking about it and putting the date in their diaries,” she said.
”This is a massive event for the city because it turns the whole of the city centre into a performance arena, from the Wellgate Centre right down to Sensation.
”This is the third year we have done it and we hope to have even more people out on the streets joining in.
”This year we will have wax torches for the lantern parade, a modern take on a ceilidh at Sensation and street theatre provided by Dundee College.”
In previous years the number of acts has left some people unsure where to go next, so this year organisers have arranged trails.
”For example, there is a choir trail so people can move though the city centre listening to choirs at different times,” said Jennifer.
The Dundee Nativity, complete with real donkeys and Christmas carols, will this year occupy a prime site at the City Churches.
The Wellgate and Overgate shopping centres, along with some independent retailers, will stay open throughout the evening and a number of buildings across the city centre will become the backdrops for striking projected images.
The strong ‘Christmas’ theme is in contrast to recent years. In 2009, the council was forced to insist the significance of the season “had not been forgotten” after local churches complained the Winter Light Night event was “taking Christ out of Christmas”.