Numerous places are pulling out all of the stops with some dazzling illuminations, including some in the Bristol city centre and surrounding areas that are sure to bring all the festive feels. With so many popping up, Bristol Children’s Hospital dedicated charity, The Grand Appeal, has created a handy online guide for a wintry walk around some of the region’s most illuminating house and street Christmas light displays this season with its ‘Shine Bright for Bristol Children’s Hospital’ interactive map.
The Grand Appeal is inviting those in the South West to wrap up warm and get into the festive spirit by visiting some of the 30 streets and 100 festive homes across Bristol, Portishead and Weston-super- Mare all featuring as stars on the map. Each of the communities of supporters are decorating and lighting up their homes, windows and gardens this year in order to raise money for the Bristol Children’s Hospital.
Some of the dazzling highlights you can witness as part of the illuminating tour found on the ‘Shine Bright for Bristol Children’s Hospital’ interactive map include The Grand Appeal’s very own Noël Gromit and 50 stars illumination projected on the front of Bristol Children’s Hospital, which is visible every evening until early January. You’ll also find in Portishead a display featuring the Prima Featherina sculpture from the Gromit Unleashed 2 trail along with a motion sensored display, as well as 200 vans glitzed up and decorated with lights as part of The Vee Dubs family’s annual cruise that lights up the area and Weston.
Head to Hollisters Drive in Hartcliffe for appearances from Santa and Elsa from Frozen every Friday and Saturday and there is even a castle in their garden, complete with reindeer and sleigh, or wonder to Farrier Way in Whitchurch Village for a 30-minute display with eight songs and 5,000 LEDs playing to the music. There is also one of the biggest and most impressive light displays that is the Brailsford lights in Brenty, run by the ‘Brailsford Brothers’, where they will have hot chocolate and a snow machine for everyone to enjoy on December 22, plus a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve. You can also pass by Park Road in Staple Hill where over 40 houses along one street are filled with a variety of lights and displays- talk about a team effort!
For some of the displays taking part, this will not be the first year they have supported The Grand Appeal, with the Santa Float, which makes its way round the region visiting different areas of Bristol and surrounding villages throughout December, raising a whopping £14k for the charity last year and the Brailsford lights, have raised over £82,000 for the Grand Appeal over the last 13 years.
Kate Jones, Community Fundraising Manager at The Grand Appeal, commented: “Every year the region lights up with amazing Christmas light displays at homes and streets around every corner. We are always so grateful for the incredible donations we receive and this year we wanted to help by putting these wonderful festive illuminations on the map to make sure everyone gets the chance to see them. The creativity of the displays this year is just awe inspiring and we urge everyone to take a tour and get well and truly full of Christmas cheer.”
Discover the full illuminating tour map of the Christmas light displays in and around Bristol here.