Free winter illuminations trail to light up city

Lancaster’s annual festival of lights is set to illuminate the city with 18 installations from the castle to the canal.

Light Up Lancaster is a free three-night arts trail taking place from 7 – 9 November between 17:00 and 22:00 GMT.

Established in 2012, last year saw a record number of visitors with 72,000 attending.

Producer George Harris said: "The audiences keep growing every year, so we know we're doing something right."

"This year we've taken in two more locations, one down on Lancaster Canal which we've never used before, and one at Aalborg Square," he said. "So the route will probably take a couple of hours strolling round the town."

He said the event started as a firework display, before the council decided to come up with ideas to offer more to the community.

"People just came on a Saturday night for 15 minutes and then disappeared and the city council tried to explore a way of giving people a little bit more.

"The initial one was just a few small installations, and now there are no fireworks any more and Light Up Lancaster has become a three-night festival."

It takes the form of a walking trail where visitors can stroll round the city to see its landmarks illuminated.

This year's theme is The Art of Science and includes British Sign Language guided tours running on Saturday evening.

There is no set route, the walk is suitable for children and there will be a night market selling food.

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