New Milton Christmas Festival return cancelled by Storm Arwen could return as Easter extravaganza

NEW Milton could host its first major Easter event in 2022 after Storm Arwen put paid to this year’s planned return of its popular Christmas celebration.

Last Friday organisers the Lions Club of New Milton were forced to pull the plug on the following day’s New Milton Christmas Festival – the first since Covid restrictions halted the one in 2019 – amid a Met Office yellow weather warning of strong winds up to 55mph.

But, speaking to the A&T on Monday, Alan Watson, chair of the Lions Club activities committee, announced the event was set to be remounted as an "Easter extravaganza” in April.

There were hopes over the weekend that the event could be rescheduled to this Saturday, but Mr Watson said this would not be possible.

“This is the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Lions Club, so we are deeply disappointed that we couldn’t go ahead with it this year,” he told the A&T.

“But the number of gazebos we would have had would have been so dangerous with the high winds that were forecast.

“It could now be restaged as an Easter extravaganza on Saturday 16th April, which would be a mirror image of what we would have had at Christmas, except we won’t have Father Christmas, of course, but we will have something else.”

Mr Watson said this would be the first time New Milton has staged a major event for Easter, with smaller scale events such as egg hunts previously hosted in the town.

On Monday, council amenities committee members backed a request from the Lions Club for the recreation ground to be used between 8am and 8pm on that day for "fun activities".

For the Christmas event dozens of stalls were set to have lined the length of Station Road and the adjacent stretch of Old Milton Road, with a main stage at Station Road’s junction with Ashley Road hosting a programme of entertainment.

There was also set to have been a circus-themed illuminated parade through the high street, culminating in the festive lights switch-on.

Last Friday’s announcement said: “The Lions Club of New Milton regrets that it has had to cancel the Christmas festival due to the high gusting winds forecast.

“Foremost in our minds has to be the safety of our visitors, our stallholders, our performers and our volunteers. We are very sorry that we had to make such a decision.”

Full refunds had been offered to the stall holders who were due to have taken part in the Christmas festival, but Mr Watson said out “almost all” were happy to rearrange their bookings for Easter.

“These sort of events are very important to us as they fill our coffers so we can be charitable throughout the year to the good and needy causes that we support,” Mr Watson continued.

“I believe the Christmas festival would have been a very well attended event. I’m sad for our visitors because they deserve a good big event to enjoy themselves.

“It’s very sad that another major event has been cancelled – this time not due to Covid but due to extreme weather. But I hope we can do them proud at Easter.”