Love Lancaster BID

30/10/2026

🦎We’re having an amazing time in St Nicholas Arcades with the small animals! Why not pop in if you’re in town?!

⏰ Today until 4pm
📍 St Nicholas Arcades
🎟️ FREE PETTING ZOO!
🐾Pop into St Nics and get close with a variety of fascinating animals in a calm, supervised environment! Animal expert will be on hand to guide interactions, answer questions and help you discover some amazing creatures!

❤️A BIG thank you to St Nics for sponsoring the animal open session and the trail.

30/10/2026

🎃Samba Espirito Day of the Dead Parade this Saturday! Don’t miss it!

𝗪𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁: 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱! 💀🥁

On Saturday 31st October, the Espirito of the Dead Parade creeps back into Lancaster for a night that’s simply to DIE for!!! 🎃

As darkness falls we’ll be raising the dead (and the roof!) through the pedestrianised city centre with glowing drums, gothic black costumes, Day of the Dead face paint and SKELE-TONS of spine-tingling samba-reggae rhythms. We've been practising so hard we’re practically dead on our feet. 🧟

🥁 Saturday 31st October 2026
🦇 6pm to 7pm
📍 Starting outside M&S, Penny Street, Lancaster
🎃 Free to watch, everyone welcome

Fancy dress is very much encouraged. Bring your boo crew, dig out your spookiest outfit and dance with us through the streets.

Tag the friend who’d be dead keen on this! 👇

💜🥁💀🏵🎶💜🥁💀🏵

29/10/2026

🦎ST NICS ANIMAL ENCOUNTER IS TOMORROW…

📅 Friday 30th October
⏰ 10am – 4pm
📍 St Nicholas Arcades
🎟️ FREE PETTING ZOO!
🐾Pop into St Nics and get close with a variety of fascinating animals in a calm, supervised environment! Animal experts will be on hand to guide interactions, answer questions and help you discover some amazing creatures!

❤️A BIG thank you to St Nics for sponsoring the animal open session and the trail.

28/10/2026

💛Light up a Life for this Light Up Lancaster with Preston Ireland Bowker Funeral Directors

✨As part of Light Up Lancaster, Preston Ireland Bowker Funeral Directors warmly invite you to visit them on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th of November for a special moment of reflection, remembrance and light.

🕯️As you explore Lancaster’s beautiful light exhibitions, why not take a little time out of your evening to remember someone special who is no longer with us?

⏰Between 6pm and 8pm, they will be lighting up their driveway with candles, each one shining in memory of a loved one. You’re invited to light a candle for someone dear to you and leave a heartfelt message on a Memory Tree - a special place to share a thought, a treasured memory or a few words from the heart.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒Whether you’re remembering a family member, a friend or someone who has touched your life, you’ll be warmly welcomed. Come along, take a quiet moment, share a memory and join others in celebrating the love that lives on.

☕ Free hot drinks will be available, offering a little warmth as we come together in remembrance.

26/10/2026

🚗Free parking for Christmas shoppers in Lancaster… more free parking than ever!🤶

🛍️Shoppers and visitors to Lancaster can enjoy free parking on the run-up to Christmas, making it easier than ever to support local businesses and soak up the seasonal atmosphere.

📍The initiative, agreed following consultation with the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) aims to boost footfall and encourage residents to shop local during the busy festive period.

🎉The offer is available in all of Lancaster City Council’s town centre pay and display car parks, including the St Nics multi-storey which is now open until 11pm.

🔗Details of the times/dates when free parking will be available are as follows:

🎄Lancaster Sundays:
29th November - All day
6th December - All day
13th December - All day
20th December - All day

🎁Plus ‘Free after 3pm’ evening shopping Thursday the 17th December

🎅Free after 3pm Christmas week Monday 21st December Tuesday 22nd December Wednesday 23rd December Thursday 24th December

❤️Thank you to Lancaster city council for agreeing this to help our businesses and shoppers alike!

25/10/2026

🎄Who else is excited to see beautiful Show Globes making a return to Lancaster on our ‘Big Thursday’ event on the 17th of December?!

☃️Lancaster city centre is getting ready for a jam-packed festive season, with plenty of reasons to come into the city, shop local and soak up the Christmas magic. ❤️

🚘 Remember we have more free parking than ever too…
🎉The offer is available in all of Lancaster City Council’s town centre pay and display car parks, including the St Nics multi-storey which is now open until 11pm.

🎄Lancaster free parking Sundays:
29th November - All day
6th December - All day
13th December - All day
20th December - All day

🎁Plus ‘Free after 3pm’ evening shopping Thursday the 17th December…

🎅Free after 3pm Christmas week Monday 21st December Tuesday 22nd December Wednesday 23rd December Thursday 24th December

🥳Festivities to look forward to

🎄 Lancaster Christmas Lights Switch On – Sunday 29th November
🧸 Christmas Toy Appeal – 14th November–14th December
🎅 Santa Bus is back at our 3 events:
❄️ Winter Wonderland – Sunday 6th December
🎩 Victorian Christmas – Sunday 13th December
✨ Lancaster’s BIG Thursday – 17th December
🐧Primary School Penguin Trail
🎁 Plus plenty more festive surprises, entertainment and promotions along the way!

🎉 Full details on each event will be coming very soon.

24/10/2026

🦎It’s spooky season, why not enjoy….LANCASTER’S CREEPY CREATURE TRAIL & ST NICS ANIMAL ENCOUNTER…

🐢Animal Encounter:

📅 Friday 30th October
⏰ 10am – 4pm
📍 St Nicholas Arcades
🎟️ FREE PETTING ZOO!
🐾Pop into St Nics and get close with a variety of fascinating animals in a calm, supervised environment! Animal experts will be on hand to guide interactions, answer questions and help you discover some amazing creatures!

🐸Creepy creatures Trail:

📆17th - 31st October.
👻Follow our Trail around the city centre and find the names of the businesses where our creepy creature baskets are hiding to be in with a chance to win a £50 voucher to spend in any St. Nics business. All basket creatures you see will be donated to our Christmas toy appeal!

🗺️You can find a map in any participating business or screenshot the image below, or check out the web link: https://lovelancaster.co.uk/events/lancasters-halloween-trail-2026/

📍The trail runs from 17th October - 31st October. Post your completed entry form in the post boxes in St Nics Arcades OR email a copy of your entry to: [email protected]

❤️A BIG thank you to St Nics for sponsoring the animal open session and the trail.

23/10/2026

🎶 LANCASTER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026… WHAT A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER!

❤️ It was wonderful to see our streets, venues and public spaces filled with so much energy, showcasing amazing talent and bringing people together through the magic of live music.

✨ Events like these are a brilliant reminder of what makes Lancaster so special.

🔥 Lancaster Music Festival

Photo credit: Nettlespie Photography

22/10/2026

✨Who else can’t wait for Light Up Lancaster

🎉From the 5th to the 7th of November Light Up Lancaster will be returning across the three evenings to shine a light on our wonderful city.

❤️Lancaster BID is once again part of the Steering Group who come together to make this event happen.

🌆The city will once again be lit up with illuminated works of art along with chances to get hands on with interactive light art.

22/10/2026

🎤 We are delighted to announce that local Rock Legends - Massive Wagons - will be headlining the Lancaster Christmas Lights Switch On this year. 🎸

Their last three albums all charted in the Top 10 of the UK Album Charts and reaching Number 1 in the UK Rock and Metal Album Charts. With such a massive following, we are certain that our Switch On will draw a crowd this year - make sure the date of 29th November is in your diary!

❤️ As a local band, they are keen to perform in their home town. Some lucky pupils from Dallas Road Community Primary School will be joining them on stage as part of the show. ❤️

The full Christmas Lights Switch On line up also includes:
🎅Samba Espirito
🎄The Performance Studios
⛄️Gabriella T & Jasmine T
🎉C & C Entertainments
🎁Sold To The Sky

The show will be hosted by Beyond Radio and is kindly sponsored by Holdens Law and supported by Costa Coffee.

❤️ Love Lancaster this Christmas! ❤️

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