Fordingbridge Christmas 2026

The Recreation Ground and River Avon in Fordingbridge

Fordingbridge still has no posted night for the 2026 High Street lights. The Town Council site, agendas and events diary are blank for that Friday. What has moved is the lantern parade: Avon Valley Community Matters told the Salisbury Journal in September that it will run lantern workshops in October, ahead of a parade during the town’s late-night shopping in November.

Park Fest poster for Fordingbridge Recreation Ground — The Recreation Ground also hosts the town’s Saturday parkrun, which usually adds a festive extra in December

That is the same shape as recent years, not a calendar. In 2025 the switch-on was Friday 28 November, with the High Street closed from 4pm to 9pm, Santa on a sleigh, the Fordingbridge Choir and late shops. Town Council now runs the night itself — Fordingbridge Events Group handed the fixture over after 2024. Until a 2026 road closure or council flyer appears, treat late November as the window only.

Avon Valley Community Matters first put a lantern parade on the High Street in 2023, with the council, Rotary and the Salvation Army. Workshop times for October 2026 have not been listed on their events page yet. Watch that page and the council’s Facebook rather than last year’s Friday.

St Mary’s Church usually follows in mid-December with Christmas Together, a gathering rather than a formal service. The last dated AVCM listing for that was December 2023. No 2026 time has been advertised.

Fordingbridge Recreation Ground parkrun has, in recent Decembers, dressed the Saturday course and sometimes run an extra on Christmas Day. Those dates are not up for 2026. The Rec itself stays the everyday meeting place by the Avon, lights or no lights.

This page will be updated when the council puts a Friday on paper, or when AVCM posts the October workshop times.