Plymouth's Christmas Bloom: lights, markets and more

Plymouth's festive season opens with a floral twist this year, and the Christmas Bloom event sets the tone for what follows. It's a family-friendly way to ease into the holidays, and it's backed by a line-up of sponsors that keeps the whole thing running.

The big moment comes on Thursday 12 November at The Piazza on Armada Way, when the city centre Christmas lights are switched on. The evening runs from 4pm to 7.45pm, with live entertainment from the start, the lights going on at 6.25pm with special guests, and a Land of the Giants performance at 6.40pm. It's worth knowing that the busiest hour falls between 5.45pm and 6.45pm, so plan your arrival around that if you'd rather avoid the crush. The Piazza itself is a pedestrianised space right in the heart of town, next to the historic Plymouth Sundial, and it's where the city gathers for most of its big seasonal moments.

Once the lights are up, the markets take over. The main Plymouth Christmas Market runs from 26 November to 20 December, with wooden chalets selling artisan crafts, bespoke gifts, treats and street food — crêpes, bratwurst, Dutch pancakes and mulled wine among it. For something a bit different, the Festive Good Food and Craft Markets set up at Royal William Yard on a handful of dates across early December, and the Mistletoe Market brings together more than 60 artisans for a European-style gift market.

There's a whole other layer of family activities to fill the weeks. The Ehlers Train and Tunnel, known as the Tinsel Town Tunnel and Train, is a free LED light tunnel and train that runs through Kellogg Park along the Walk of Trees, with tickets and hot chocolate available at the information shop on Main Street. For younger children, Candy Cane Corner at 450 Forest Avenue costs £6 and packs in a letter to Santa, cookie decorating, reindeer food, an ornament craft, gourmet hot chocolate and a Tinsel Town train ride. Story Time with Mrs Claus over at HomeCraft Real Estate adds stories, photos and a small gift for every child, while Gingerbread Rock turns the corner of Ann Arbor Trail and Main Street into a gallery of gingerbread houses from 11 to 31 December, with caricatures by Bil Barrett.

And if you're planning to make a real day of it, the horse-drawn carriage and wagon tours are a highlight. Private carriages for up to six people are £75, while the 12-passenger wagon is £12 a head, with tickets going on sale from 27 November. The tours run from two stations on West Ann Arbor Trail, and several local restaurants take dinner reservations around them, so a nice meal can be built right into the evening.

Getting around is made easier with a free parking shuttle running on Fridays and Saturdays, and free bus travel on the Stagecoach 200 service between Coypool Park and Ride and the city centre on Thursday evenings and all day Sunday from 13 November to 21 December. Late-night shopping also runs every Thursday, with cheap parking at the Western Approach car park from 3pm. Between the lights, the markets and the family activities, there's plenty to fill a few evenings without ever leaving the city centre.