This winter, Bath will welcome a dozen larger-than-life snowmen as part of an exciting new initiative to refresh the city’s Christmas celebrations.
The event, titled ‘Walking with the Snowman’, will run from mid-November until the end of January. It offers families a chance to follow a specially designed trail across the city featuring 12 sculptures inspired by Raymond Briggs' beloved book, “The Snowman”.
This snowy spectacle is a key feature of a five-year plan to transform Bath’s festive offerings, complementing potential changes under consideration for the city’s iconic Christmas market.
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Bath Business Improvement District (BID) has partnered with The Festival Lighting Company to gradually increase the number of Christmas lights throughout the city. Themed around “understated elegance”, the new lighting programme aims to enhance Bath’s festive atmosphere.
BID CEO Allison Herbert explained: “We have launched a new five-year Christmas lighting programme starting this year. Bath is renowned for its world-class Christmas market, and this year, we want to add even more reasons for visitors to come to the city.”
Key illuminated sites will include Bath Abbey, Abbey Green, Milsom Street, New Bond Street, Old Bond Street, Upper Borough Walls, Cheap Street, Stall Street, and Pulteney Bridge, among others.
Jonathan Bradford, director of The Festival Lighting Company, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be part of the team creating Bath’s Christmas lighting for the next five years. There’s nowhere quite like Bath, and adding a touch of sparkle to its architecture is exactly the kind of project we love.”
Nicholas Wylde, owner of Wylde Jewellers and project sponsor, added: “This is the third consecutive year we’ve proudly sponsored a Bath BID trail, and it never gets old. Bath has given so much to our business; projects like ‘Walking with the Snowman’ are a wonderful way to give something back to the city and the families who visit it.”
The snowman trail will also complement Victoria Art Gallery’s exhibition, ‘The World of the Snowman™’ (running from Friday 20 November to Sunday 28 February), as well as a special screening of “The Snowman” with live orchestra at The Forum on Saturday 19 December.
Local businesses are encouraged to join the festive spirit with snowman-themed window displays and events.
Families will even have the chance to meet the Snowman in person on Thursday 19 November and Saturday 21 November, in collaboration with Rainbow Productions.
The ‘Walking with the Snowman’ trail will be held from Thursday 19 November to Sunday 31 January at various locations throughout Bath. Further details will soon be available on the Welcome to Bath website.