For the past number of years, Cork City Council has fulfilled a key role in generating visitors, footfall, spend and interest in the City Centre for the lead up to Christmas, in order to make the city a vibrant and attractive place to visit, dine and shop.

This year, the initiatives taken in previous years will be built upon, with support to the city’s economy being the main driver. It is estimated that over the 15 days of operation of the Christmas events, over 150,000 people will be attracted into the city centre.

Measures to be taken this year include –

1. Incentivised Parking

The Council will operate the following incentivised parking deals for the public for the month of November 2011, in a concerted effort to generate business in the city in the run up to Christmas –

• Monday to Thursday 10am to 12 noon – free car parking in both Paul Street and North Main Street car parks.

• Thursday and Friday – 18.30pm to midnight free parking in Paul Street car park to incentivise late night shoppers.

2. Switch on of Christmas Lights

This will take place on November 18th, recognising the importance of attracting footfall into the city as early as possible for city traders. The event will take place outside Brown Thomas at dusk, involving a range of school choirs which will perform Christmas carols, and will proceed by candle light down Opera Lane and on to Emmet Place. There will be a Christmas Tree on Emmet Place for illumination on arrival, followed by a reception to mark the start of the Christmas season in the Cork Opera House. Pantomime characters will be on Emmet Place to add to the atmosphere.

3. The Cow up a Tree

This is an iconic art installation, already acquired by Cork City Council, and awaiting the opportune time and space for display, which has now been identified as Emmet Place at Christmas 2011. This installation has proved to be a major attraction in other European Cities and should prove to be a great talking point and draw for locals and visitors alike for the period. It will add to the list of reasons to come into the city during November and December 2011, as well as attract the public towards this quarter of the city.

4. Christmas on the Grand Parade, 2011

This award winning festival will be officially opened on the evening of Friday November 25th, one week after the illumination of the city, and will again incorporate the lighting installation at Bishop Lucy Park as well as the Grand Parade market. The Park will open from 4pm to 8pm and the Market will open from 10am to 8pm on the following dates –

• Friday 25th to Sunday 27th November

• Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th December

• Friday 9th to Sunday 11th December

• Friday 16th to Sunday 21st December

5. The English Market

2011 marks the first year of the incorporation of the English Market into the main Christmas event on Grand Parade, as it has been included in the contract for dressing and presentation for Christmas. The traders in the Market are involved in this aspect of the event, and recognise fully the value of building on the Market’s profile following the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in May of this year.

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Posted in Arts Local by laura 3 Comments