It’s the weekend and, if you are not too busy Christmas shopping, here are a few ideas of things to do and see in Thanet.
Northern Lights, Santa and a Wassail
This weekend is the last chance to see the Northern Lights laser show over Ramsgate harbour.
The lights go on at 5pm until 10pm. Father Christmas is taking time out of his busy schedule for a tour of Ramsgate’s inner harbour on Saturday (December 15). He will be waving at the children from the lit up RNLI Trent from 4.45pm-5pm.
He will set off at 4.45pm to motor slowly up and down by Military Road, then turn around near the Sailor’s Church before going out through the lock to the outer harbour for 5pm.
The RNLI boat will then return to its normal position in the inner harbour.
On December 16 there is a winter wassail at the Wellington Crescent bandstand from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Hosted by the East Cliff Community Group, join them at 6pm for mulled drinks and winter ginger biscuits (small charge for drinks and snacks) then toast to each other’s good health and fortune! A proper wassail! Sing-a-long will start at 6.30pm until 7.30pm and will include Christmas Carols and songs. LED candles can be bought for 50p or returned at the end of the event.
Ramsgate Town Team co-host the event,
Christmas party and bingo
December 15, Beacon Bingo, Margate. From 10am
Doors open 10am, be seated for 10:45am ready to be entertained by Stars in their Eyes Hayley & Gerry as “The Party Duo”., and enjoy a fabulous Christmas dinner too.
Tickets are required for this event at £5, call 01843 297308.
Afternoon Bingo as Normal from 1pm.
Wicked Productions performing Jack & the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, Margate.
Join Jack on the adventure of a lifetime as this grounded dreamer is forced to swap his bovine best friend for a seemingly useless bag of beans, which soon turn out to be decidedly more magical than your average can of Heinz! Things really hot up for poor Jack when he has to climb into the sky and face the evil giant lurking above.
Back by popular demand, cheeky comic Jez-O returns for his fourth spectacular year.
Jack and the Beanstalk is on stage from now until January 2, various performances.
Tickets range from £11 to £17.50 plus booking fee. To book call 01843 292795 or go to theatreroyalmargate.com
Dick Whittington is being performed at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs
Show runs from December 16-30. Performances at 2.30pm on various dates. Tickets Advance/Friends: Adult £14.50, Children £13, Family (four) £52, On the doors: Adult £16.50, Children £14.50.
Contact [email protected] or call 01843 863701.
Family panto Aladdin comes to the stage at The Centre, Alpha Road, Birchington.
Shows from the Act 1 Theatre Group, Saturday at 7.30pm and Saturday matinee 2.30pm.
Tickets are adult £8.50, concession £6.50 and family of 4 £26.
Call 0333 666 3366 or email [email protected]
Hornby Santa’s Grotto
Saturday 15th December 10am-3pm
Come and visit Santa’s Grotto at the Hornby Visitor Centre
Entry to the Grotto is £8 per child including meet and greet with Santa and a special gift
Booking required max 200 spaces,01843 233542
Waste Free Winter Market
December 15-16, Turner Contemporary. 10am to 5pm both days
The Student Makers Market Presents a Waste Free Winter Market.
Young makers, artists and designers from across Kent who are working with rescued and salvaged materials. Alongside the market there will be a number of fashion shows and workshops through the day.
Find bags made from screenprinted wetsuits, knitwear made from waste t-shirt yarn, hand printed jackets from vintage bedspreads, deconstructed ski jackets and artworks created from laser cut skateboards.
The Waste Free Winter Market is part of the Closing the Loop training programme which was developed by Future Foundry to introduce creative young artists and designers to concepts such as the Circular Economy, Cradle to Cradle and Zero Waste.
TuTu & Friends
December 15, Olby’s Soul Café, King Street, Margate, 9pm-2am
Mi-Soul Radios Tutu Balogun and friends are having a Christmas Party and they are having it at Olby’s Soul Cafe & Music Rooms in Margate.
Vale Square Tree Lighting
Saturday 15th December 6pm-7pm
Festive cheer and the lighting of the Christmas tree at around 6:10pm with music and carols performed by local musicians. Carol sheets provided
In Ramsgate’s Vale Square, East Garden, Vale Square, CT11 9BX
Christmas Cracker Variety Show
December 15, St George’s Church hall,7pm for a 7.30pm start
Starlite Entertainers presents ’36th Christmas Cracker Variety Show’ in association with Thanet Community Development Trust
Adults £6
Children/Senior Citizens £5
Email [email protected] or call 07969 672674
Silverland Studios Open Exhibition
Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th December 11am-4pm
Joe Allen, Christine Henn – Paintings, Drawings, Monotypes
Exhibition showing selected large works that give an insight into the development of our visual concepts. Alongside these you can follow our development in small works and works on paper
Silverland Studio
18 Military Road
Ramsgate
A Children’s Christmas at Ramsgate Tunnels
Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th December 2-3pm
Visit the Tunnels to find out how Ramsgate’s WW2 children would have celebrated Christmas.
During this group session you will visit Tunnel Town to listen to a specially written story about two children living in Ramsgate in 1940 and how they celebrated Christmas that year. The story will last approximately 20 minutes and you will see genuine World War II objects that would have been given as gifts and find out what life would have been like living in Tunnel Town. Tunnel Town will be decorated for the season in wartime style.
After the story there will be a special visit from Father Christmas who will give each of the children a small 1940’s themed gift.
This event is suitable for children aged between approximately 4 – 10 years old. Adults are admitted free. Children should be accompanied by an adult although, due to space restrictions, no more than two adults attend per child and that there are no more than three children per adult.
Adults Free
Children £8
Cliftonville Farmers Market
December 16, The Oval, Eastern Esplanade, 10am-1pm
Award-winning Farmers Market where producers will be selling bread, cheese, honey, fruit, vegetables, wild game, fruit juices, fresh meat and much more.
Coastal Crafty Crew – Christmas
December 16, Quex Small Barn, Quex Park, Birchington,10am-3pm
Handmade and unique crafts
Big Fish Little Fish
Sunday, December 16 from 2pm to 4pm, Dreamland
It will be a fun family Christmas party vibe, with a dance floor complete with bubbles, balloons, confetti cannons and a snow machine when the Big Fish Little Fish family rave comes to Dreamland this month.
DJ duo Baker & Beale know exactly how to rock a party and their upfront selections will keep everyone moving from the very start all the way through to the parachute dance finale.
Child craft expert Captain Cookie will be hosting kids activities in the craft corner. Choose from the giant colouring in mural, free transfer tattoos and a homemade play-doh table for even the smallest of ravers. And if the little ones need a time out, the baby chill out and toddler play space provides breakaway areas with tents, tunnels, foam mats and a ball pool.
Tickets from £8.50 + booking fee in advance. Babes in arms / pre-walkers go free.
The event is suitable for ages 0 – 8 years.
Easy Sunday: Bright! Colour/Light
December 16, Turner Contemporary,
Drop into the Clore Learning Studio on Sundays to create your own masterpiece with our friendly Navigators.
Be inspired by the light and colour in the works of art around you and explore new materials with collage, mirrors and lots of bright colours!
£4.50 per child/ Free for CT9 Residents
Family Christmas Service
December 16, Christ Church, Vale Square, Ramsgate, service at 4pm
Followed by light refreshments
Christmas service
St Laurence Church, High Street, St Lawrence
Sunday 16th December:
10:00am Carol Service, St Mary, Cliffsend
6:30pm 9 Lessons and Carols, St Catherine, Manston
6:30pm Carol Service, St Mark, Northwood
The Big Fat Christmas Quiz Night
December 16, The Mariners Bar, 47 Harbour parade, Ramsgate, 8pm
Light hearted night of trivia quiz questions with a very festive theme
Christmas Jumpers and carol singing optional
Teams of any numbers welcome – £2 entry fee per person. Cash prize for winning team
All profits going to Stand Up To Cancer
Call 01843 589632 to book
York Street Gallery Christmas weekend
December 15 and 16, noon to 5pm, YSG at 22 York Street, Ramsgate
Annual Christmas drinks in the gallery. Everyone welcome to join for a drink and mince pie or two.
Ramsgate RNLI Christmas service
December 15, 2pm-3pm, lifeboat station, Ramsgate harbour
Carol Service lead by the Station Chaplain. Mince pies will be enjoyed at the end of the service.
It’s a Wonderful Life (U)
Palace cinema Broadstairs
George Bailey (James Stewart) dreamed as a young man of travelling the world but never quite managed to leave his small hometown of Bedford Falls, where he marries his school sweetheart Mary (Donna Reed) and has a family. He takes over his father’s Building and Loan Company and, as his father had done before him, helps the poorer people of the town to buy homes in which to raise their families.
But, one Christmas Eve, suddenly everything crashes down: a simple mistake means that the Building & Loan company is suddenly in the hands of the greedy and exploitative local banker Mr Potter (Barrymore). George is desperate, feels he has let everyone down and is standing on a bridge wishing he’d never been born when Angel 2nd Class, Clarence, saves him by showing him what Bedford Falls would have been like if he hadn’t been around…
Saturday 15 December, 3.00pm
Tuesday 18 December, 5.00pm
Wednesday 19 December, 8.15pm
Thursday 20 December, 5.45pm
Call 01843 865 726 or click here
The Old Man & The Gun (12a)
Palace Cinema, Broadstairs
After (at least) 18 successful prison breaks (including from San Quentin at the age of 70) Tucker faces old age and love at the same time. Now in his 70s, still unable to settle down to a straight life, he goes on another spree of bank heists drawing the attention of detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea), who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and Jewel (Sissy Spacek – Days of Heaven), the cynical woman he meets along the way who learns just what kind of man he is, loving him in spite of his chosen profession.
Saturday 15 December, 6.00pm
Sunday 16 December, 7.00pm
Monday 17 December, 7.45pm
Tuesday 18 December, 3.00pm
Wednesday 19 December, 6.00pm
Thursday 20 December, 8.30pm
Call 01843 865 726 or click here
Suspiria (18)
Palace cinema Broadstairs
A darkness swirls at the centre of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the troupe’s artistic director (Tilda Swinton – Orlando, Hail Caesar!), an ambitious young dancer (Dakota Johnson – Bad Times at the El Royale, Black Mass), and a grieving psychotherapist (Ebersdorf – Caravaggio, Snowpiercer, Doctor Strange). Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.
Saturday 15 December, 8.00pm
Tuesday 18 December, 8.00pm
Call 01843 865 726 or click here
Gold Rush (U)
Palace cinema Broadstairs
Palace Sunday Silents
In partnership with Wall of Sea
On the last Sunday of each month the Palace Cinema and Wall of Sea present a silent classic with Lillian Henley’s wonderful live accompaniment on piano.
Chaplin’s classic silent comedy takes the Tramp into unlikely territory as an intrepid gold prospector in the Alaskan wilderness, one of the last hospitable environments on earth. What could possibly go wrong…
Sunday 16 December, 4.30pm
Call 01843 865 726 or click here