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Kent’s Christmas calendar with dates for pantos, light switch-ons and festive markets

Move over, October — November is here, and that means it’s finally time to get into the festive spirit and start filling your calendar with those all-important Christmas dates.

Whether it’s supporting the community at your local light switch-on, booking a family trip to the panto or visiting some of Kent’s biggest attractions for a day of festive fun, here’s our guide to Christmas in Kent…

Enjoy exciting festive experiences and traditional family days out this Christmas. Picture: We Are Destination
Enjoy exciting festive experiences and traditional family days out this Christmas. Picture: We Are Destination

NOVEMBER

Saturday 9: Bluewater’s Winterland opens

Friday 15: Canterbury Christmas Market opens

Friday 15: Canterbury light switch-on

Friday 15: Christmas at Bedgebury light trail opens

Friday 15: Folkestone Creative Quarter light switch-on

Friday 15: Folkestone Harbour Christmas Market opens

Friday 15: Tunbridge Wells light switch-on

Saturday 16: Dartford light switch-on

Saturday 16: Gravesend light switch-on

Saturday 16: Sittingbourne light switch-on

Saturday 16: Westwood Cross Christmas Market opens

Sunday 17: Herne Bay light switch-on

Sunday 17: West Malling light switch-on

Thursday 21: Maidstone light switch-on

Friday 22: Christmas Lights at Leeds Castle trail opens

Friday 22: Hever Castle’s Christmas in the Castle opens

Friday 22: Marlowe Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast panto opens

Friday 22: Tenterden light switch-on

Friday 22: Tenterden Christmas Market opens

Saturday 23: Ashford’s Carnival of the Baubles

Saturday 23: Deal light switch-on

Step into the world of The Nutcracker at Leeds Castle. Picture: We Are Destination
Step into the world of The Nutcracker at Leeds Castle. Picture: We Are Destination

Saturday 23: Leeds Castle’s A Nutcracker Christmas opens

Sunday 24: Historic Dockyard Chatham’s Mission Christmas opens

Sunday 24: Paddock Wood light switch-on

Sunday 24: Ramsgate light switch-on

Sunday 24: Tonbridge Castle’s Illuminate light trail opens

Sunday 24: Tonbridge light switch-on

Friday 29: Rochester Castle Christmas Market opens

Saturday 30: Borough Green light switch-on

Saturday 30: Faversham light switch-on

Saturday 30: Hazlitt Theatre’s Cinderella panto opens

Saturday 30: Sandwich light switch-on

Saturday 30: Sevenoaks light switch-on

Saturday 30: Whitstable light switch-on

Sydnie Christmas will star in Sleeping Beauty at Dartford’s Orchard West Theatre. Picture: KMTV
Sydnie Christmas will star in Sleeping Beauty at Dartford’s Orchard West Theatre. Picture: KMTV

DECEMBER

Sunday 1: Westgate-on-Sea light switch-on

Friday 6: The Woodville’s Jack and the Beanstalk panto opens

Saturday 7: Churchill Theatre’s Snow White panto opens

Saturday 7: Dover light switch-on

Saturday 7: Rochester’s Dickensian Christmas Festival

Saturday 7: Sarah Thorne Theatre’s Aladdin panto opens

Rochester’s bustling Christmas Market is set to return to the castle this year. Picture: Sam Lawrie
Rochester’s bustling Christmas Market is set to return to the castle this year. Picture: Sam Lawrie

Sunday 8: Rochester’s Dickensian Christmas Festival

Thursday 12: Central Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk panto opens

Friday 13: EM Forster Theatre’s Snow White panto opens

Friday 13: Leas Cliff Hall’s Wizard of Oz panto opens

Saturday 14: Dreamland’s Christmas World opens

Saturday 14: Granville Theatre’s Peter Pan panto opens

Saturday 14: Orchard West Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty panto opens

Saturday 14: Rochester Cathedral Christmas Carols

Saturday 14: Trinity Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty panto opens

Sunday 15: Festival of Carols at Canterbury Cathedral

Thursday 19: Canterbury Cathedral Christmas Carols

Friday 20: Astor Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk panto opens

Friday 20: Rylance Theatre’s Snow White panto opens

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