Unwrap the Christmas Magic in Bray — Your Festive Season Starts Here!
The festive season is just around the corner; the Bray and District Chamber of Commerce, bray.ie and Bray Municipal District, Wicklow County Council, have once again teamed up to launch their Christmas marketing campaign—Unwrap the Christmas Magic in Bray—Your Festive Season Starts Here. This campaign urges the Bray community to continue shopping, hiring, and sourcing locally, helping to strengthen the foundation for economic growth in the District. It also invites everyone to participate in the town’s many festive events and activities taking place through late November and December.
This year’s Bray festive season is bursting with a fantastic lineup of events, from watching ‘Christmas Movies at Mermaid’, visiting ‘Santa and The Ponies at Festina Lente’, and exploring the ‘Killruddery Christmas Markets’ to catching enchanting ‘Candlelight Concerts’ and, of course, the sparkling town centre Christmas lights. So, don your cosiest winter coat and get ready to spread the festive cheer.
Kieran Ward, President of the Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, said, “There’s no better way to embrace the Christmas spirit than by enjoying everything our wonderful town has to offer. From festive events to the fantastic local businesses that make Bray special, it’s the perfect time to shop local and support our vibrant business community.”
Pictured at the launch of the Christmas in Bray 2024 marketing campaign (left to right) are Kieran Ward, the Bray & District Chamber of Commerce President, Cllr Malachaí Duddy, Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy, Santa Claus, Adam Burke, Cllr Melanie Corrigan and Cllr Erika Doyle, Leas-Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District—photo by Leigh Anderson.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Bray Town Centre came alive with joy and excitement (Saturday, November 23rd) as the official Christmas lights on Main Street were switched on at the Civic Plaza, marking the start of the town’s much-anticipated festive season. Starting at 4:45 pm, the event gathered a large crowd for a magical outdoor celebration filled with music, laughter, and merriment.
Above is a selection of photos from the launch of Bray’s Christmas Lights Switch-On Celebration—photos by Leigh Anderson
The evening’s highlight was the spectacular arrival of Santa Claus, who thundered into town on a Harley Davidson. He was accompanied by an escort from An Garda Síochána, Bray’s 2023 Person of the Year, Dessie O’Toole, and other Harley Davidson riders, heralding the official switch-on of the lights. This year, Francesca Fitzpatrick and her family had the honour of illuminating Bray’s Main Street, revealing new, bespoke Christmas lights that dazzled the gathering. All the festive lights are powered by energy-efficient LEDs, designed to consume 75% less electricity than traditional bulbs—an eco-conscious step in Bray’s commitment to sustainability.
#ShopLocalFirst this Christmas…
Cllr Dermot O’Brien, Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, said, “The Christmas in Bray campaign encourages the local community to shop, hire, and source locally, emphasising that supporting local businesses not only enhances the festive spirit but also strengthens the town’s economic growth. To support this campaign, free car parking is available in the Herbert Road Car Park (Council-owned portion) every weekend from Saturday, November 23rd until Sunday, December 29th.”
This Christmas, Bray won’t just sparkle and twinkle—it’s packed with incredible experiences, events, and activities that you can’t get anywhere else, all sure to add a little extra festive cheer.
They include:
- Town Centre Christmas Lights and Giant Christmas Tree at the Civic Plaza.
- Christmas Projections on the Town Hall and Civic offices.
- Santa’s Post Box – children wanting to send letters to Father Christmas can do so at the Bray Town Hall until Friday, December 13th – Read more below!
- #ChristmasInBray Colouring and Photography Competitions – Read more below!
- Top Christmas gift ideas available from local retailers – Read more below!
- #ChristmasInBray Spotify playlist. Listen here.
- Catch Bray Musical Society’s Pantomime, Treasure Island, starting on Friday, November 22nd and continuing through the final two weekends of November. Tickets can be purchased here.
- Sunbeam House Services will hold its Christmas Craft Fair on Thursday, November 28th, from 10:30 am to 4 pm.
- Santa Claus at Killruddery with Me and the Moon – Sold out.
- Killruddery Wellness Series kicks off on November 17th. Check out https://killruddery.com/pages/event-programme for details.
- The Killruddery Christmas Market runs from Friday, November 29th, from 2 pm to 8 pm, every Saturday and Sunday from November 30th, from 10 am to 5:30 pm. It concludes on Monday, December 23rd.
- Loreto Bray Christmas Market will take place on Saturday (November 30th) from 11 am to 4 pm.
- Festina Lente has an array of festive workshops kicking off on Saturday, November 30th. Book here.
- Killruddery Christmas Wreath-Making Workshops take place on various dates in November and December.
- Local businesses’ Christmas Market at The Palm will be held on various Sundays in December. Read more at facebook.com/thepalmbray.
- Voices of Bray’s Christmas Concert takes place in St Fergal’s Church on Sunday, December 1st, at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
- Classics by Candlelight at Christ Church returns for its fifteenth year on Sunday, December 1st, at 7 pm.
- The Bray Arts Christmas Party Night will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 8 pm upstairs in the Martello Hotel.
- Hardy Har Comedy Club at The Harbour Bar presents their Christmas Cracker Comedy Special on Thursday, December 5th. Doors 8 pm. Show time is at the slightly earlier time of 8.45 pm. Free admission!
- Purple House’s Christmas Candlelight Service takes place on Friday, December 6th, at 6 pm in Christ Church.
- Ballywaltrim Library has an array of Christmas events and activities for kids, which kick off on Saturday, December 7th – Read more below!
- St. Andrew’s National School’s Christmas Fair takes place on Saturday, December 7th. Entry is €3, and kids go free. Updates are at facebook.com/StAndrewsChristmasFair.
- Junior Musicals presents Sparklejollytwinklejingley on December 7th and 8th at the Mermaid.
- Bray Choral Society’s Carols by Candlelight takes place on Saturday, December 14th at 8 pm.
- Visit Santa & The Ponies at Festina Lente on Saturday, December 14th and Sunday, December 15th, from 10 am. Book here.
- There’s a Christmas Block Print Workshop with Me + The Moon at the Mermaid on Saturday, December 14th.
- The Mermaid has an array of festive shows, including It’s Magic with Joe the Magician on Saturday, November 23rd, Sister Act: The Musical from November 27th to 29th, the Nutcracker Sweeties on December 3rd and 4th and more. See mermaidartscentre.ie/whats-on/all for complete listings.
- Christmas Movies at Mermaid kicks off on Friday, December 20th. Screenings include ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’, ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ and ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. See mermaidartscentre.ie/whats-on/all to book.
- The annual Charity Swim takes place on New Year’s Day at noon opposite the Strand Hotel. The Bray Lions Club organises the event. The charity swim has raised thousands of euros for local causes.
- Sharon Shannon performs at the Mermaid on Friday, January 3rd 2025
Simply click on the #ChristmasInBray event/activity image below to reveal more information.
Make a break for Bray this festive season…
There’s plenty to keep you and your family busy between the Christmas events, so why not make a break for Bray this festive season and explore things to see and do, eat and drink, places to stay , and more by visiting the award-winning website: bray.ie.
Get your community event listed on bray.ie
If you’re hosting a community event this Christmas, bray.ie is happy to help promote it for free. Just fill out the online submission form here.
Thanks to the local business community…
“We appreciate all the local businesses that have contributed to the Christmas in Bray campaign, events, and activities. If your business would like to contribute, don’t hesitate to email the Bray and District Chamber at info@braychamber.ie,” concluded Kieran.
All events and activities are subject to change without notice. Competitions close on Friday, December 20th 2024.
Join the conversation
Use the hashtags #ChristmasInBray #UnwrapTheChristmasMagicInBray #WinterInBray #LoveBray #BestOfBray
The Christmas in Bray marketing campaign is supported by Bray and District Chamber of Commerce, bray.ie and Bray Municipal District, Wicklow County Council. bray.ie is a trading name of Bray Tourism.