CHRISTMAS celebrations in Chester continue next week with lanterns lighting up the city centre.

The Queen of Light puppet will be joined by hundreds of local school children for this year’s Lantern Parade on Thursday, November 28.

The children leave from the Christmas Market at 7pm with their handmade lanterns along St Werburgh Street accompanied by the Queen of Light, walking along Eastgate Street to the Cross, down Bridge Street, then turning around and heading for Northgate Street, with the Parade ending back at the Christmas Market in Town Hall Square.

Schools taking part this year are Tarporley CE Primary, Boughton Heath Primary, Belgrave Primary, Grosvenor Park Academy, Dee Point Primary, Upton Westlea Primary, St Clares Primary, Cherry Grove Primary and Acresfield Primary.

Lisa Harris, Director of Places Strategy at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “Chester artist Russell Kirk has been running workshops in our schools to make lanterns that the children will be carrying in the parade.

“Russell has made structures for many of our parades including the Twelve Days of Christmas, Midsummer Watch, Winter Watch and Diwali, his Queen of Light structure adds to the Lantern Parade spectacle.”

The Lantern Parade is part of Chester’s Christmas celebrations that include the Christmas market in Town Hall Square, Lanterns at Chester Zoo, Chester Cathedral’s Christmas Tree Festival, The Gingerbread Village, Peter Pan at Storyhouse, Snow White at the Forum Studio Theatre, Winter Watch Parade (December 5) and the combined Saturnalia and Winter Watch Parade (December 12). Visit: www.experiencechester.co.uk for more Christmas events.

Park and Ride buses are running up to 9pm on every late night shopping Thursday, with the last buses at around 9pm instead of 7pm.

For the Park and Ride Christmas services, tickets and routes visit: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/parkandride download the Stagecoach Bus APP at: www.stagecoachbus.com/app