Past Events
Stevenage Christmas Lights 2009
The initial disappointment at the cancellation of X-Factor finalist Lucie Jones was soon forgotten when Scott Robinson, former member of boy band 5IVE, took to the stage at the Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-on last Thursday and entertained a crowd of thousands with a medley of some of the band’s biggest hits!
Comet competition winner Vicky Tiffin from Stevenage joined Cllr
Sue Myson, Mayor of Stevenage, Sharon Taylor, Leader of the
Council, Gaz and Babs from Heart and the cast of Aladdin for the
big switch-on, lighting up the town for the festive season.
Stevenage Town Centre Manager Tracey Parry said, “We have
received some lovely comments and emails from the local
community and town centre businesses; we were blessed with clear
skies and a fantastic line-up of free entertainment, sweets and
balloons as well as free car parking all helped to make the
evening a great success”.
Donations were collected for the Comet’s charity of the year,
Macmillan Cancer Support, throughout the evening and Macmillan
volunteers Annie Ashby and Michael Mallinson said “We had such a
lovely evening, singing and dancing; it really put us in a
festive mood. Everyone in Stevenage was really generous and in
good spirits, and the money raised will really make a difference
to people living with cancer.”
Stevenage town centre is now open every Thursday evening until
8pm and all town centre car parks will be offering free car
parking to everyone who leaves after 5pm, making late night
shopping well worthwhile. The shops are also open every Sunday
from 10am-4pm and there is plenty of festive entertainment on
offer, including carol singing, funfair rides and the
opportunity to try out our synthetic ice rink in town square
from 19-24 December. Plus, pick up a leaflet or cut the coupon
from the Comet for a chance to win a £500 shopping spree before
Christmas!
For more information, contact the Stevenage Town Centre
Management Company on 01438 740884.
Photography by Andy Hewson, Reflections Photography, St Georges Indoor Market
Wild West Bonanza - 4 July 2009
Visitors to Stevenage town centre had a rootin’ tootin’ time on Saturday when the Wild West rode in to town! Hundreds of people enjoyed the many activities in the town square, as well as a great line-up of live music on stage throughout the afternoon, introduced by Heart’s Breakfast DJ Gaz and Adam.
The sun shone all day and children and parents alike enjoyed
panning for gold and the challenge of staying in the saddle on
the Buckin’ Bronco. At high noon, a cowboy brawl ended in an
exciting gunfight between the notorious gunslinger Ringo and
cowboy Billy Bob!
Stevenage town centre manager, Tracey Parry, said “This is the
third summer fun day we have organised and we are delighted with
its success. The team from Astrium helped us to achieve some
authentic Wild West entertainment, which created a great buzz on
the day”.
Three Stevenage girls picked up a prize each for their design of
a WANTED poster and April and Tyler Butchart scooped the prize
for the best dressed boy and girl in the Fancy Dress. Over £720
was raised during the event for Macmillan Cancer Support, thanks
to donations and the charity tombola.
“I would like to thank all those people who helped to make this
event a resounding success for Stevenage town centre”, said
Tracey Parry. “In these challenging times, it’s important to
remember that a town centre is the civic heart of a community
and days like the Wild West Bonanza help to create a vibrant and
enhanced shopping experience for everyone”.
Look out for the Splash out in Stevenage campaign throughout the
coming weeks for a chance to win some fabulous summer goodies.
See your local press for details.
Easter Fun in Stevenage Town Centre
It was crackin’ good fun in Stevenage Town Centre during the Easter holidays! Mums took advantage of some glorious sunshine and some free Easter activity by bringing their children along to take part in the Stevenage Town Centre Management Company’s Easter events.
Hundreds of children took part in the Easter Braille Trail and
20 lucky winners picked up a chocolate Easter egg, kindly
donated by Tesco, Primo Stile and Farmfoods. Three year old
Lexie Pearce was the winner of a family ticket to see Beauty and
the Beast at the Gordon Craig Theatre, and shoppers were treated
to a sneak preview of the show by the cast in the town square.
Face painting, guess what's hidden in the jar and the "Name
the Easter Bunny" competition attracted large crowds and lucky
winner Theresa Sealy took home the Easter rabbit by correcting
naming him. Many shoppers, as well as members of the Stevenage
Police, experienced the blindfold walk, accompanied by a fully
trained Guide Dog.
The event supported the Town Centre Company’s chosen charity for
this year, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and volunteers joined the
Heart Angels in giving out free mini chocolate eggs and
balloons. A total of £686.34 was raised, kick-starting our
fund raising efforts to sponsor a puppy.
“In these difficult times, parents really appreciate being able
to keep the children amused for free while they shop, so events
like these are always very popular”, said Tracey Parry,
Stevenage Town Centre Manager. "We are very pleased with
the amount of money we raised for Guide Dogs, thanks to the
generosity of Stevenage people".
The synthetic ice rink has also been a great success and we are
hoping to bring it back to Stevenage town centre for the
Christmas period.
Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-On 2008
Thursday 20 November
Who Needs a McLaren when you’ve got an Austin? Despite
rumours that Lewis Hamilton might turn up at Stevenage’s
Christmas Lights Switch-on event last Thursday, it was actually
X-Factor finalist Austin Drage that brought the crowds out in
their thousands.
An estimated 5,000 people braved the cold for a chance to hear
Austin perform on the Chiltern roadshow stage and he didn’t
disappoint, singing three tracks and then spontaneously giving
the crowd an unaccompanied rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s
Christmas hit “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”.
Austin was joined by David Spinx and Ben Nicholas, the stars of
this year’s Christmas pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, plus
James Acraman and Cllr Sue Myson for the countdown to the
Switch-On, which was followed by a spectacular firework display
and a flurry of snow, creating a magical Christmas effect and
kick-starting Thursday late night trading in the town centre.
Town Centre Manager, Tracey Parry, said “We had a record number
of people attend this year’s festivities; it was absolutely
fantastic to see so many families thoroughly enjoying
themselves”.
The Christmas Lights in Stevenage are funded by Stevenage
Borough Council and the Stevenage Town Centre Management Company
and this year’s event was sponsored by ASDA. Christmas in
Stevenage gets underway now with the “Great Christmas Giveaway”
campaign, offering shoppers the chance to win a whole host of
fabulous prizes, including a Nintendo DS Lite, Christmas Hamper,
designer glasses and much more. Pick up a leaflet in town centre
shops, visit the Competitions page
for more information, or contact the Stevenage Town Centre
Management team on 01438 740884.
Stevenage Supports World's Biggest Coffee Morning
Friday 26 September 2008
The sun shone and the people of Stevenage turned out in their hundreds in support of the Macmillan Cancer World's Biggest Coffee morning event in Stevenage town centre on Friday.
Town centre coffee shops Costa Coffee and Nosh donated flasks of fairtrade coffee and tea, biscuits, croissants and cakes, which were sold to shoppers from the town centre marquee to raise money for this worthy cause.
“We
were absolutely delighted with the success of the day”, said
Tracey Parry, Stevenage Town Centre Manager. “Lots of people
brought their morning or lunchtime coffee, which they enjoyed at
tables laid out in the town square".
Working in partnership with Carla Poole, Area Fundraising
Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support and her team, the Stevenage Town Centre
Management Company raised a staggering £723.
"This is much more than we managed to raise last year", said
Tracey, "I think the sunshine helped but it also goes to show
that, despite the credit crunch, the people of Stevenage are
still incredibly generous".
The next town centre event will take place during the October half term and will raise money for Building Blocks, which supports babies, children and teens who are in need of treatment in hospitals such as Lister, the QEII, Hertford County and the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. Visit the Events page for more information.
Stevenage Summer Knights Fun Day
Saturday 5 July 2008
A medieval mix of madness and mayhem descended upon Stevenage
town centre last Saturday and whipped up a cauldron of sorcery
and spells for the Stevenage Summer Knights Fun Day!
Hundreds of people turned out to watch sword wielding knights
defend the walls of a magnificent Medieval castle and there was
plenty of opportunity for audience participation in the fun
jousting tournament and Chiltern radio roadshow games and
competitions.
“We are absolutely delighted with the success of the day”, said
Tracey Parry, Stevenage Town Centre Manager. “There was lots to
do for the whole family, and we gave away hundreds of prizes and
goody bags, donated by town centre shops and our sponsor ASDA”.
The day, which was organised by the Stevenage Town Centre
Management Company in partnership with Astrium, also supported
the Comet’s charity of the year, Building Blocks and raised over
£1,000. Daniel Fletcher, head of fundraising for enhance herts,
the charity behind the Building Blocks appeal, commented, "We're
very grateful to Stevenage Town Centre for the opportunity to be
involved in such a successful and fun event. We'd also like to
thank all the volunteers who gave up their time and helped raise
money on the day."
The fun continues throughout the summer with street
entertainment every Saturday in August. See your local Comet
newspaper for details or visit the Events Page.
Eggstra Special Easter Fun in Stevenage Town Centre
It was a chocoholic’s dream in Stevenage town centre over
Easter when shoppers were offered the chance to dip a tasty
treat in a giant chocolate fountain on Good Friday and Easter
Saturday. The free prize draw to win a whole year’s supply of
chocolate.
The Stevenage Town Centre Management team kept the children
amused with an Easter Egg Hunt while parents did their shopping
during the Easter school holiday period. Over 100 children took
part in a bid to win the first prize, a family ticket to see
Peter Pan at the Gordon Craig Theatre. Archie Freeman,
aged 3 was the lucky winner and a further 20 runner-ups each
picked up a giant chocolate Easter Egg, kindly donated by Tesco,
Boots, Poundland, Bhs and Marks & Spencer.
Free balloons and Cadbury’s Crème Eggs were handed out by the
Peter Pan cast and the face painting raised over £40 for the
Stevenage Town Centre Management Company’s charity of the year,
Building Blocks.
Stevenage Pancake Race 2008
150 school children whipped up a treat in Stevenage Town Centre on Shrove Tuesday when they took part in the town's seventh annual Pancake Race. Pupils from Lodge Farm and St Vincent de Paul came equal first in the Junior race at 10am and then teams from Barnwell battered the opposition Marriotts to claim the winner's cup.
The fit lads from Sports World beat teams from LA Fitness, Specsavers, Stevenage Borough Football Club, Stevenage Police and the town centre Police Community Support Officers to be crowned winners of the adult race.
The event, co-organised by Specsavers and the Town Centre Management team, raised over £600 for our chosen charity of the year, Building Blocks.
Christmas Lights Switch-on 2007
Thursday 22 November
A huge crowd filled Stevenage Town Centre for the
switching-on of the Christmas Lights last Thursday. Despite a
damp and miserable start, it turned in to a clear but cold
evening and hundreds of people braved the chill to watch the
show, which kicked off in town square at 4pm. Performances from
Georgie Swan, Stevenage’s Nathan Watson and up and coming new
girl band StoneFoxx kept toes tapping; Hertbeat’s Steve Folland
gave out Christmas goody bags and selection boxes galore, as
well as some fantastic prizes to those contestants that took
part in games such as Play Your Cards Right, Christmas Trivia
Quiz and the Gnome Game!
A sneak preview of this year’s Christmas pantomime, Cinderella,
plus a Christmas message from Stevenage’s Lewis Hamilton, was
greeted by loud cheers from the crowd, before Amanda Barrie, the
Mayor and Mayoress of Stevenage and 6-year old Lisa Schnapp
press the plunger to light up the town for the festive season.
“There were a few hiccups along the way this year”, said Town
Centre Manager Tracey Parry, “But thanks to the efforts of all
those involved in this popular event, we managed to overcome
them and it was a great night”.
There’s plenty more festive entertainment planned throughout
December, including carol singing, street theatre and dancing
and funfair rides. Plus, Stevenage Town Centre is celebrating 12
Days of Christmas with £600 shopping vouchers and a grand prize
draw. Check your local Comet for further details.
Caribbean Pirate Party
Saturday 14 July 2007
Pirates sailed into Stevenage town centre last Saturday to
get their hands on some pirate booty! Captain Barbossa moored
his ship, “Hamilton the Third” alongside the beach in the town
square and challenged his arch enemy, Captain Jack Sparrow, to a
swashbuckling duel on the deck.
The sun shone and thousands turned out for Stevenage’s Caribbean
Pirate Party, snapping up the chance to win a treasure chest
full of prizes by hunting for the gold key in the sand, taking
part in a fancy dress competition and enjoying a fantastic
line-up of on-stage entertainment with the Chiltern roadshow.
Hundreds of balloons, sweets, prizes and giveaways were handed
out during the 4-hour event and one lucky Stevenage resident won
a weekend to Alton Towers.
Town Centre Manager, Tracey Parry said “It was a fantastic day,
from the weather right down to the amazing generosity of
Stevenage people, who took part in the many activities arranged
throughout the day to help us raise money for our charity of the
year, Sue Ryder Care”.
The event, organised by the Stevenage Town Centre Management
team and with the support of Astrium, raised a staggering £3,000
in total, thanks to match-funding by Barclays.
Pirates Plunder goes to Sue Ryder Care
"What an incredible day in Stevenage town centre last
Saturday at the Caribbean Pirate Party"! said Barbara Burnett,
Sue Ryder Care Area Fundraising Manager. "Hats off to the
Stevenage Town Centre Management team for organising such a
treat for the people of Stevenage. I know that all the Sue
Ryder Care volunteers not only worked hard, but also thoroughly
enjoyed themselves as they got caught up in the spirit of the
Pirates theme.
Barclays Bank also played a big part in supporting Sue Ryder
Care on the big day - they supplied an army of volunteers who
bravely faced the crowds and pirates to help man the children's
games and collection points. Not only did they come to our
rescue with so many volunteers but they have also match funded
the total amount raised which takes
the figure up to £2,079.08 - and then donated a further £1,000
to the appeal, taking the day's total up to an amazing
£3,079.08.
I would like to thank Tracey Parry and the Stevenage Town Centre
Management Team for organising such a fantastic event - it is
all thanks to them that we had such a successful day, raising
both funds and awareness for our special beds appeal. I know
they worked so hard putting this special day together and we are
all so pleased and proud
at what a huge success it was for them. Everyone at Stagenhoe,
residents and staff, would like to say thank you to them for
their support and kindness".
Bunny Mania in Stevenage Town Centre
Visitors to Stevenage Town Centre had a crackin’ good time over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Hoards of youngsters flocked to the town centre to track down two giant Easter bunnies and take part in our Easter competition.
The
97.6 Chiltern fm Black Thunder crew gave out over a thousand
mini chocolate eggs and hundreds of competition entry forms as
children bid for a chance to win a fantastic weekend at the UK’s
biggest and best theme park, Alton Towers. Free face painting on
Good Friday, always a favourite, added to the fun!
The lucky winner of this fabulous prize was Nish Rai from
Stevenage who, together with her family, will get to spend a
weekend at the Splash Landings hotel with free entry to the
water park and the theme park.
“It was an eggxtra special Easter event this year!!”, said Town Centre Manager Tracey Parry, “Thanks to the generosity of all the mums and dads that brought their children along to join in the fun, we also raised £150 for our chosen charity of the year Sue Ryder Care”.
Stevenage Pancake Race 2007
See our photo gallery for some great action pictures.
Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-On 2006
Thursday 23 November
Stevenage Juke Box Party
Saturday 16 September 2006
Stevenage Town Centre - Celebrating 60 Years!
26th July 2006
Christmas in Stevenage
24th November 2005
Christmas Lights Switch-On Party 2004
November 2004
