Experience the magic of Christmas in Maidstone

🎅 Santa at The Christmas Grotto

• 📅 Nov 15 – Dec 24
• 📍 The Mall, Maidstone
• Santa Claus and his Elves are coming back to The Mall Maidstone right in time for Christmas! Santa will arrive from the North Pole on Saturday, November 15th in his new Grotto . He will meet and greet children every day until Christmas Eve, when he will take off again to distribute presents around the world. Entry to the Grotto is £5 per child and includes a gift provided by the Mall Maidstone. At least £2 of every entry will be donated to a Maidstone charity.

🎅 Christmas at Bedgebury

• 📅 Nov 17 – Dec 31
• 📍 The Mall, Maidstone
• Experience a magical new trail and light installations to make new memories at one of the most unmissable events in the Christmas calendar. The trail is 300 metres longer this year with even more lights, plus discover a new area of the forest, never before seen by visitors to Christmas at Bedgebury. The national pinetum will be filled with all the colours of the rainbow as you walk under Liquid Sky, one of several new displays which will wow visitors for 2023.

🧚‍♂️ Peter Pan’s Festive Trail

• 📅 16 Nov – 04 Jan
• 📍 High Street, Maidstone
• Come and take part in Peter Pan’s FREE Festive Trail, brought to you by One Maidstone. Follow the trail posters located in shop windows around the town centre. Find and scan all 24 QR codes to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

🪔 Christmas Lights at Leeds Castle

• 📅 24 Nov – 31 Dec
• 📍 Leeds Castle, Broomfield, Maidstone
• Casting a festive light around the grounds of the Kent castle from Friday, November 24 to Sunday, December 31, new installations and a new route will provide the perfect backdrop for warming winter memories to be made. Just some of the new displays this year include sparkling chandeliers delicately suspended in the trees, a laser garden filled with tiny beams of light, a path of twinkling mirrored hearts and Feast of Light, featuring immersive, glowing strings filled with all the colours of the rainbow.

🎅 Christmas at Kent Life

• 📅 25 Nov – 24 Dec
• 📍 Kent Life Heritage Farm Park, Lock Lane, Sandling, Maidstone
• A festive extravaganza awaits you at our Christmas Experience! Get ready to say “Ho Ho Ho!” as you embark on a magical journey. The highlight of your visit will be meeting Father Christmas himself in his enchanting grotto. Little ones will be thrilled to choose a special gift from the wonderfully stocked toy shop. But that’s not all! You can immerse yourself in the holiday spirit by graduating from Elf School, indulging in heart warming Christmas films, exploring the delightful sweet shop, and even building your very own teddy bear.

❄️ A Narnia Christmas at The Castle

• 📅 25 Nov – 01 Jan
• 📍 Leeds Castle, Maidstone
• This Christmas join us for our enchanting festive experience, bringing the beloved story of “The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe” to life. From 25th November 2023 to 1st January 2024, the whole family will embark on a magical journey through the wardrobe as they take in the wonder of Christmas in Narnia. Step through the wardrobe to be transported to a winter wonderland where an icy spell has been cast on this mystical land where it is always winter, but will the spirit of Christmas be restored and will warmth and joy return?

🍵 Festive afternoon teas

• 📅 27 Nov – 24 Dec
• 📍 Orida Hotel, Bearsted Road, Maidstone
• Afternoon Tea is available with a fine selection of sandwiches and a savoury. Scones with lemon curd and winter preserve and clotted cream. Variety of special Christmas cakes.

🍓 Local Produce Christmas Fair

• 📅 09 Dec
• 📍 Market Hall at Lockmeadow, Barker Road, Maidstone
• Find beautiful items for Christmas with our local makers and get them wrapped at our Charity wrap station for the Heart of Kent Hospice. You can also bring along your own items for us to wrap for you on the day! 10am – 3pm.

🍓 Christmas Craft Market 2023

• 📅 09 Dec
• 📍 Maidstone Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone
• Maidstone Museum are holding their annual Christmas Craft Market on Saturday 9th December 2023. The Market, like the Museum, will be free to enter and we encourage you to come and see the lovely gifts and goodies that will be available and then to explore our galleries.

🥳 Family Festive Fanfare

• 📅 16 Dec
• 📍 Maidstone Girls Grammar School, Buckland Road, Maidstone
• Get into the Christmas spirit with Maidstone Wind Symphony and Kent Academy of Musical Theatre! We’ll be performing an afternoon of festive music for all ages, including Highlights from Frozen and Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride! The event starts at 1:30pm with pre-concert kids’ activities including a craft table, plus refreshments will be available. The concert begins at 3:00pm and will feature performances from MWS and KAMT to get you in the mood for Christmas.

🖌️ Christmas Parent and Child Art Classes

• 📅 17 & 21 Dec
• 📍 This Art of Mine, Little Budds Farm, Coldblow Lane, Thurnham, Maidstone
• A perfect festive activity tor the whole family – come along to one of our parent child workshops and enjoy some Christmas crafting with your loved ones.

🎉 Christmas 2023 Live Soul & Motown Tribute Party Night – Village Hotel

• 📅 01, 08 and 15 Dec
• 📍 Village Hotel, Castle View, Forstal Road,Sandling, Maidstone
• Joiner Christmas Party Night ticket includes 3-Course set festive menu with live entertainment from our Soul & Motown tribute and our resident DJ. Bar opens 7pm until late. Guests seated by 8pm. Over 18’s only. 7pm to 12 midnight.

🎨Christmas craft fair and flea market with live music

• 📅 02 Dec
• 📍 The Maidstone Art Centre, Marlpit Farm, Weirton Road, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone
• This fabulous Christmas craft fair/flea market has live music, An art exhibition, Free entry, Refreshments, Art table for the children and more! With stalls of all manner of handcrafted items, art by local artists, an outdoor flea market full of bargains and live music too.

🎁Father Christmas’s Fireplace

• 📅 02, 09 & 16 Dec
• 📍 Maidstone Museums, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone
• Meet Father Christmas in his cosy library, leave your wish with him and receive a present! Will your name be on the nice list? We hope so! Families are advised to book consecutive slots for more than 1 child. Family bookings will go in to see Father Christmas together. 1 child per slot.

🍽️ Christmas Lunches at The Friars

• 📅 04 Dec – 20 Dec
• 📍 The Friars, Aylesford, Maidstone
• Come and join us for Christmas lunch in the Pilgrims’ Hall with our beautiful festive setting and roaring fire. The oak-beamed restaurant offers delicious meals served in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoyed with spectacular views across the River Medway.

🎤Carol Concert

• 📅 06 Dec
• 📍 All Saints Church, Mill Street, Maidstone
• The Heart of Kent Hospice have great pleasure in inviting you to join for their annual Carol Concert on Wednesday 6 December. This year’s concert will be held in memory of Peter Brice, who so generously supported Heart of Kent Hospice be conducting the concert with his Vox Cantium Choir for many years. The evening will pay tribute to him for the years of his leadership on this well-loved event. Entrance to the carol service is via a donation of your choice to Heart of Kent Hospice which we kindly ask you to make at the point of booking.

🕊️ Light Up A Life Remembrance Service

• 📅 10 Dec
• 📍 The Friars Aylesford Priory, Aylesford
• The Heart of Kent Hopsice invite you to join for a service of remembrance and reflection, to light a candle and dedicate a star in memory of your loved ones at The Friars, Aylesford Priory on Sunday 10 December, at 4:30pm. For many, Christmas is a time for celebration and joy. But it can be a painful time of year if you are grieving. When your heart is hurting, it’s not easy to join in with all the fun and laughter. Light up a Life is a beautiful, poignant occasion which is arranged to bring you some strength and solace.

🎶 The Maidstone Singers’ Christmas Celebrations

• 📅 12 & 13 Dec
• 📍 Northumberland Road, Shepway, Maidstone
• The Maidstone Singers’ Traditional Christmas Celebrations – A Christmas concert with audience participation and a glass of wine and light refreshments.

🎭 Christmas Variety Show

• 📅 16 Dec
• 📍 Harmony Community Arts Centre, St. Hilarys Hall, Mangravet Avenue, Maidstone
• Harmony Community Arts Centre’s first Christmas Show! Led by our fabulous Troupers Director, this show will include all our current classes! Plus we will be joined by our good friends I Can Cabaret and PROUD PAC. We’ve got gifts to give away, kindly donated by the people of Maidstone via the Maidstone Borough Council Donation Hub and we’ve been gifted Mince Pies and Mulled Wine from our local Morrisons and had support too from Co-op in Shepway!

🚲 The Adventures of Arthur Christmas

• 📅 21 – 24 Dec
• 📍 Hazlitt Theatre, Earl Street, Maidstone
• This Christmas join us at the Hazlitt Institute as we go on an adventure with Arthur Christmas. When Santa forgets to deliver one present, can Arthur rise to the challenge and live up to his family name? This is not one to be missed, unlike that present.