Blackburn's first Christmas tree festival brings joy to town

The iconic King William Street venue, currently undergoing a £9million redevelopment into an arts, community and events hub, unveiled a spectacular display that celebrated the past, present, and future of Christmas.

The event took place yesterday (November 25), from 4pm to 9pm and saw an impressive turnout of families and friends who immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere.

Children from schools across Blackburn with Darwen, along with dedicated volunteers from community organisations, joined forces to meticulously craft themed trees for the occasion.

The Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen councillor Parwaiz Akhtar and Mayoress Shagufta Akhtar paid a visit, captivated by the creativity on display. They thoroughly explored the exhibition, making not one but two rounds to carefully select their two favourite trees.

1920S tree by St Stephen’s Tockholes C E primary (L) and 1980 tree by St Paul’s RC Primary (R) (Image: LT)

The first chosen one was St Stephen’s Tockholes C E Primary School’s creation which was a 1920s inspired tree decorated with flapper girl ornaments.

The second tree that wowed the Mayor was the 1980s themed tree decorated with records of 80s hits created by the children and staff at St Paul’s RC Primary School in Feniscowles.

1900 tree (L) and 1930 tree (R) decorated with popcorn strings (Image: LT)

Feniscowles Primary School children decorated a 1930s tree with toilet brushes when they discovered that Addis Brush Company created the first artificial Christmas tree in the 1930s.

The 1900s tree, created by Meadowhead Infant School, had strings of popcorn hung on it as this was a popular decoration during the early 20th century.

Other fantastic trees created by The Making Rooms, Blackburn BID, and ARC (asylum and refugee community), showcased their artistic talents by designing trees that spanned the decades from 1850 to the futuristic beyond.

Caer Butler (Image: LT)

Caer Butler, director of operations at the Exchange, said: “A lot of the kids have come running in, taking their parents to the tree to show what they’ve done. It’s been really good.

“A lot of people have come in and thought ‘it’s just Christmas trees’ but then have spent ages looking at each one and said it was amazing. They were feeding back all the information they’ve learned so it’s been a wonderful cultural event as well.

“It’s just been really good that the kids have gone away to explore, and not just making the craft and learning how to do that, but also learning all about their decade. Some of the teachers have even said they’ve enjoyed it far more than the kids, so everyone has really loved it.

“We put this project out there to see how it would go and we’ve been really pleased so we want to do a Christmas tree festival every year.”

The event is taking place today (November 26), from 12pm to 4pm, and on the weekend of December 2 and 3 from 12pm to 4pm.