See the photos as Penarth turns on its Christmas lights

This year, when Penarth is set to host a major public event, a storm seems to set in…

Earlier in the year, the town’s famous downhill derby had to be cancelled due to bad weather, then the extraordinary tight rope walk along the pier during the To The Sea outdoor arts festival had to be cancelled due to high winds, and it could have been the same for the Christmas lights switch-on when Penarthian’s woke up to more gusts of up to 50mph!

However, with the ol’British never give-up spirit, the town council kept on and the fun fare moved in, as did the acrobats, the street performers and stage riggers, and by 3pm, Sunday, November 19, the mayor and Santa, along with Penarth Operatic and Dramatic Youth Society, had officially opened Penarth’s Christmas lights event.

Despite concerns about the high winds, Penarth held a Christmas light switch-on extravaganza (Image: Newsquest)

The event began at 3pm on Windsor Road (Image: Newsquest)

The mayor and Santa opened the event, here with the Kennedy family (Image: Newsquest)

Penarthians didn’t just have a couple minutes of a button being pressed and lights blinking on – no, no, no. Instead, Windsor Road was closed off for four hours of Christmas extravaganza.

There was great family fun, here with the Warren-Eley family (Image: Newsquest)

Along with Santa, there were reindeer! (Image: Newsquest)

And Vidal the great Dane! (Image: Newsquest)

Penarth had rides, including the classic tea-cups, street games, trampolines, a makeshift nativity stage and the main stage itself which hosted a plethora of live music right up to the big event at 6pm when BBC’s Owain Wyn Evans officially turned on Penarth’s Christmas lights, and Owain did it in the only way he could, with a drum roll!

• Click here to watch our Facebook live as Owain Wyn Evans turns on the Christmas lights.

Stalls put on included woodwork, here with Zoe (Image: Newsquest)

Penarth Youth Action were raising money in a cake sale for mayor's charity Action For Children (Image: Newsquest)

• Watch the video below as the Christmas lights come on in Penarth

As the night wore on it got seriously busy (Image: Newsquest)

After the light switch-on, Michael Buble impersonator James Williams serenaded Penarth with earthy Christmas jazz numbers.

BBC weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans provided a drum roll to turn on the lights (Image: Newsquest)

• Watch the video below and see how busy the lights switch-on was as we tried to walk through the crowd!

There was an acrobatic display on the street (Image: Newsquest)

Before the Christmas event, earlier in the day, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama held a special concert at Penarth Pier as part of the Little Live Project.

Earlier in the day the Royal Welsh College Of Drama put on a concert for kids (Image: Newsquest)

• Watch the video below as Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama play to Penarthians at Penarth Pier

Students of the school of music and drama, Bess Cook-Miller (violin), Ranen Chan (violin), Imogen Holborn (viola), Gemma Ramsey (cello), Faith Bennett (double bass) along with tutor Julia Plaut put on a 45-minute concert for little ones and their parents

Look out for more Christmas events coming to Penarth Pier including Clare Teale’s Festive Fiesta on December 15 and the Christmas School Disco on Sunday, November 17.

Check penarthpierpavilion.com for more details.