The Christmas Lantern Festival in Beeston was another resounding success last Friday (12 December 2025) as hundreds of people processed through the streets to gather in Cross Flatts Park.

This was the tenth staging of the event and the biggest and best yet with an estimated 800 taking part. Activities started at St Mary’s church, St Luke’s church and Rowland Road WMC, before real donkeys led three processions which converged on Cross Flatts Park.

The park was decorated with lights, there was a nativity trail with clues to gather, a chance to have your photo taken with the donkeys, free hot food and lots of singing. The Salvation Army band led the carolling and the choir from Beeston Hill St Luke’s primary school sang in the park.

Organisers were keen to include more schools this year, but Christmas is a very busy part of the academic year, so music teacher Sophie Thiruchelvam helped four schools to learn a song called All Around The World by Sha Armstrong.

Staff taught the song to pupils at New Bewerley Community School, Lane End Primary School, Park View Primary Academy and Beeston Hill St Luke’s Primary School who were then videoed performing it. The results were skillfully spliced together and the results shown on the big screen in the park.

Mark Hodgkinson, one of the organisers said:

“The event itself, I believe, was the best yet. Whilst the event only runs for a couple of hours, the whole day is full of joy and wonder.  Over 100 volunteers from across the community and a couple of businesses (including volunteers from as far afield as Middlesborough and Bristol) came together to make the event happen working tirelessly throughout the day to set up what was by far and away the largest event to date.

“However, it is the moments created that are what is really about. One child commented to a volunteer, “It’s like Disneyworld has come to Beeston”. Another local resident came along during the day to the cafe, sat with some of the volunteers and had a cup of tea. She came back later for the event and said she found he whole thing so moving that she wanted to come and help next year.

“For me, it is great to see the park looking so beautiful and so full of light and for the symbolism behind it all of bringing light into a world where sadly there is much darkness.”

 

Photo: Cllr Andrew Scopes

 

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