From Christmas shopping and festive music, to twinkling lights on boats and winter cruises with mulled wine and mince pies; we have plenty of seasonal suggestions on how to include the canals and waterways in your winter celebrations this year.

1) Christmas Fayres

This weekend on 6th and 7th December you can head to the Stoke Bruerne Christmas market in Northamptonshire for Christmas carols, seasonal gifts, mulled wine and hot turkey baps. Trip boat Charlie will lead a procession of illuminated boats along the Grand Union Canal, and will then offer special cruises to the Blisworth Tunnel and back. The market will be at The Navigation pub and includes floating traders. The Boat Inn will also be operating Santa boat trips through the tunnel and back with a gift for every child.

Next weekend from 12th – 14th December Gloucester Quays Festive Fayre will offer locally produced food, drink and Christmas gift ideas. There will also be live music, street performers, choirs and real-life reindeers!

Birmingham’s Seasonal Market is returning to the Digbeth canal-side venue tomorrow (6thDecember) with a courtyard of street food, real ale and cocktails beneath a huge Victorian canopy. Traders will be selling food, jewellery, crafts and more from indoor market stalls and canal boats.

2) Christmas Music

In Hertfordshire the Rickmansworth Waterways Trust and the Boaters Christian Fellowship are holding a carol service at Batchworth Lock on 13th December at 4.30pm. Music will be provided by The Rickmansworth Players Choir and the Chiltern Hills Brass Band with refreshments available at Cafe @ Lock 81.

Alternatively, this Sunday 7th December from 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm Foxton Folk Club invite you to enjoy a wide range of seasonal music at Foxton Canal Museum, Leicestershire.

3) Canal Boat Trips

The National Community Boats Association blog reports that there are at least five community boating projects running Santa cruises around the canal network this year.

“According to insiders at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) Santa operates within his own space-time continuum, which explains why he is able to simultaneously volunteer on several community boating projects at once.”

Find out if Santa (the ultimate community volunteer) is appearing on a canal boat near you on the NCBA blog.

The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port is also offering Santa cruises on a decorated boat along the Shropshire Union Canal, on several dates in the run up to Christmas. Back at the Museum Santa will tell a special story and share gifts in his Christmas Grotto. There will mince pies and other refreshments available, and booking is recommended.

And finally, The Anderton Boat Lift is running Santa Claus Trips from 6th to 21st December with stories, activities and gifts for the children. Booking for this is also essential as there is limited availability. There will also be a Christmas gift and craft fair.

More details of all these boat trips are on the CaRT website.

So whether it's shopping, music or boating that gets you in the festive mood there's something here for every boater.

Peggy

Image credit: Thanks to Stephen Dawson for making this image of Stoke Bruerne top lock available under a Creative Commons Licence.

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