Prepare for your Ceredigion Christmas from mid November as local businesses and communities dress for Christmas with Christmas lights,wreaths and colourful displays brightening up town and country alike. You'll find Christmas Fairs being held in village halls across Ceredigion with stalls stacked with goodies handmade locally by craftmakers and cooks.
The Polar Express comes to Aberystwyth
The magical POLAR EXPRESS™ comes to Aberystwyth on the Vale of Rheidol Railway with a fully immersive theatrical live show that re-creates scenes from the famous Christmas movie. Everyone will receive a Polar Express Golden Ticket and hot chocolate and cookies are served, just like the movie. If you wish, you can come dressed in your pyjamas and dressing gowns. As the train pulls away from the platform you’ll be treated to some familiar songs from the film, performed by the Polar Express dancing chefs and maybe even the Conductor himself, . Perhaps Father Christmas himself may be on board.
The Polar Express experience lasts approximately an hour – the train will go to Capel Bangor (not Devil’s Bridge) which takes approximately 20 minutes. Allow at least an hour and a half to enjoy the whole experience as there will be singing, dancing and customer interactions at the Vale of Rheidol station in Aberystwyth and the event space as well as on board the train.
Please note that tickets are bookable online only, and not from the Vale of Rheidol ticket office.
Where's Santa?
Santa will be visiting towns, shops and several other locations in Ceredigion before Christmas to meet the children of Ceredigion. See the Christmas Fairs listing to fond out where and when he'll be visiting places across Ceredigion.
Book a time to see the busy elves' workshop and Santa's grotto at the Silver Mountain Experience attraction in Llywernog where there's lot to entertain children and adults alike, and Santa himself will be calling in to supervise the elves and meet children in the grotto.
We know that it's by sleigh that Santa usually travels around the world, but you can catch the train on the Teifi Valley Railway to see him in one of his local grottos - he visits every weekend until Christmas.
Magical Christmas lights and lanterns
Classic Christmas performances and panto merriment
Christmas wouldn't be complete without a trip to the theatre.
Theatr Mwldan in Cardigan hosts theatre, concerts and an annual panto by Cardigan Theatre. The 2023 panto is Robin Hood, held on 3 weekends during December, including Christmas Eve.
Aberystwyth Arts Centre presents theatre productions throughout the year, from home grown community theatre performances to professional touring companies. From November onwards there are shows including the Little Town of Aberystwyth by Lighthouse Theatre featuring Louie Knight the detective from the 'Aberystwyth Mon Amour' series of novels. For Christmas and New Year 2024 there are family performances of Cinderella by the Arts Centre's dance school, and showings in the cinema of performances by the Royal Ballet of Cinderella and the Nutcracker. The Arts Centre Youth theatre company will present A Christmas Carol in December, and finally the The Wardens, who have brought hilarity and fun to the theatre for 30 years bring the season to a close with Dick Whittington and the Pi-rats of the Caribbean in January.
Theatr Mwldan and Cardigan Theatre's Christmas Panto for 2024 is Cinderella
Theatr Mwldan and Aberystwyth Arts Centre also bring live broadcasts to their cinemas of Christmas performances from prestigious venues such as the Albert Hall and opera and ballet from Covent Garden and the New York Met.
Theatr Felinfach weaves classic pantomime capers with local stories and contemporary issues, performed in Welsh by the local community.
Christmas Music
Opera, pop, jazz, rock 'n' roll, as well as Christmas carols form an eclectic Ceredigion Christmas music programme.
Aberystwyth Arts Centre hosts Aberystwyth's award winning symphony orchestra, Philomusica's concert featuring music interpreting the myths and legends of Wales. Individual singers bring their own magic touch to the Christmas season - check out Good evening Mr Buble at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, and Natasha Watts at Cardigan's Theatre Mwldan.
Each year the annual Welsh language Christmas cabaret by local group Cabarela is much anticipated as well as the annual charity singalong led by popular Aberystwyth mixed choir Sgarmes.
The Welsh of the West End at Christmas is another not to be missed concert at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
Christmas Carol and Plygain tradition
Cor Dyffryn Arth are joined by internationally renowned harpist Catrin Finch in an evening of of Christmas music and readings at Holy Trinity Church, Aberaeron, and Aberystwyth's Choirs for Good concert Christmas Extravaganza is held at the town's Holy Trinity Church
Vsitors are welcome to join in Christmas services across the county. One of the most picturesque locations in the country to experience a candle-lit service on Christmas Eve is Holy Cross church at Mwnt. Christmas Eve is when the Unitarian community of the Teifi valley also hold their Carol service by candleight at the historic Hen Gapel, Llwynrhydowen.
Another impossibly romantic setting for a candle-lit service is Strata Florida Abbey. The evening starts at Mary's Church, ending with mince pies and mulled wine at the Strata Florida Trust building Y Beudy.
There are Christmas carol services St Mary's church in Cardigan, St Padarn's in Llanbadarn Fawr and at the beginning of December St Michael's Church in Aberystwyth holds a Stable Trail, complete with donkey rides, followed each Sunday up until Christmas by carol services.
Plygain is a traditional Welsh Christmas service and the carols are very different from the usual English Christmas carol tradition. There will be no programme set out before hand and no one leads the service as soloists, groups and even choirs take turns to sing traditional carols without accompaniment. This unique Welsh language tradition can be experienced at St John the Baptist church in Penrhyncoch, near Aberystwyth.
Christmas Craft Fairs
There are craft fairs held in arts and village halls across Ceredigion from Mid November through to last week before Christmas.
Pafiliwn Cymru at Pontrhydfendigaid holds an annual fair where you'll find local, established and new crafts and Christmas treats, while the Lampeter Campus of the University of Wales Trinity St David's hosts a Christmas Fair with music and food.
Llanerchaeron is the beautiful setting for the weekend long Christmas Fair held on the first weekend in December. Stalls are packed with handmade gifts, food and decorations.
Cardigan Castle is the magical setting for its ever popular Christmas Fair, with over 40 stalls within the Georgian villa and the garden pavilion. Visit Santa's Grotto or enjoy a warming cup of mulled wine.
There's late night shopping at the National Library of Wales during their Christmas Fair and at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, throughout December there are over 50 stalls displaying crafts, food and gifts. The Centre is open daily, and into the evening on weekdays.
Aberystwyth Farmers market has a special Christmas market on two weekends in the run up to Christmas - the place to get the best locally produced Christmas food and drink.
Christmas food and drink from Ceredigion
Ceredigion is justly proud of the local produce available in shops and also online. Aberystwyth's Farmers' Market and St Dogmael's Farmers Market are recognised as one of the best in the UK, with stalls offering delicious treats - traditional and influenced by the heritage of other lands. Ceredigion's towns have family butchers and bakeries of the highest quality, and our sweet treats and drinks are distributed to the best outlets across the country.
It's not only on our high streets that you'll find excellent local produce for sale, but in local farm shop delis like Bargoed Farm shop in Llwyncelyn, Cherry Picked in Sarnau, Riverside at Tregaron and Cletwr community shop at Tre'r Ddol.
Late opening and free parking
Ceredigion's towns have a range of interesting independent shops, and its a pleasure to explore on and off the high streets. Discover Aberystwyth's hidden gems on the Christmas Treasure Hunt around town, held over two weeks in November To enter, you will need to find a Nutcracker character in shop windows around town.
Lighting the town Christmas tree and lights is usually accompanied by late night opening, special fairs and markets, parades and music. Santa has been invited to attend the festivities in several places too.
Although Fathers Christmas will have a big sleigh full of presents to distribute, he won't have to worry about parking for his Christmas shopping as Ceredigion Council car parks are free of charge on the three Saturdays in the run up to Christmas.
Christmas trees, wreaths and treats
Love that special fresh smell of a real Christmas tree?
You can source a beautiful tree grown locally in the Cambrian Mountains or the slopes of the Teifi valley. There's a choice of size and type to decorate - fir, spruce or pine.
Natural and sustainable materials are used to create Christmas decorations in workshops at National Trust at Llanerchaeron and the Flower Meadow near Llandysul, where you can make a wreath on one weekend workshop, and a fresh Christmas table decoration on another. Chose from crochet mini wreaths making or a willow wreath workshop. or maybe both at RSPB Ynyshir.
Or why not join them at Nanteos Mansion for a wreath making workshop and a delicious Christmas lunch.
Santa splashes - cold water sea swims
Ceredigion has several cold water swimming groups, and the villages of Llangrannog and Aberporth have annual ' Santa swims' on Christmas morning, Boxing Day or New Year's Day. Llangrannog is usually the first into the water, on Christmas Day, followed by Aberporth on Boxing Day.
An annual New Year's Day swim takes place at New Quay - but not too early - the charity fundraising event starts at 11am. There are also similar events at Poppit Sands and on the Parrog at Newport , only a short trip into north Pembrokeshire.
