Ipswich to 'follow the stars' with new Christmas lights

Why it matters: The switch-on will debut brand new, fully programmable lights that Ipswich Central says will bring the town to life with light shows and displays every single day of the festive season.

The details: The new lighting costs around £150,000 and will be switched on during the big Christmas switch-on from the Cornhill.

• Ipswich Central is also producing a guide to Christmas in Ipswich, highlighting events, markets, offers, things to do and see, people and stories, places to shop and things to discover.
• Hundreds of people will take part in a community lantern parade on Saturday, 19 December, with lantern-making guides and workshops being released beforehand.
• Throughout the day, Eko the Sea Giant, a 13ft (4m) puppet operated by world-class puppeteers, will perform from DanceEast to the University of Suffolk and throughout the high street.

The big picture: Follow the Stars aims to bring businesses and people together as one shared Christmas campaign for the town, with Ipswich Central describing it as "one town, one constellation, made of hundreds of stars."

Local businesses are being encouraged to get involved by featuring in stories, installing Christmas window displays and submitting events or offers.

What they're saying: Lee Walker, chief executive of Ipswich Central, said: "This year, we want everyone in Ipswich to feel a part of something bigger than themselves.

"We want businesses, events, places and people to be part of the Follow the Stars campaign and prove that Ipswich is a fantastic location to celebrate Christmas.

"This huge campaign, bigger and better than anything we have planned before, is just the start of what we are all building together in the town."

The bottom line: Ipswich's festive season gets under way on Sunday, 15 November with new programmable lights that will put on daily displays, followed by a community lantern parade and a 13ft sea giant puppet in December.

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