Dundee’s Perth Road is to be transformed into a winter wonderland next month.
For one night only, the Dundee Westfest team will provide an enchanting start to the West End Christmas Fortnight with its first-ever Winter Westfest event.
This will feature a festive light trail alongside the traditional Christmas market in Miller’s Wynd car park.
Santa will also be appearing on his sleigh to give out goody bags to children attending the market and there will be a choral service in West End Church to coincide with the start of the Christmas Fortnight.
From 4pm on Thursday November 28, the festive light trail will be bookended by illuminations at Blackness Library in Sinderins and The Gate Church.
Colourful floodlights and festive-themed images, including children’s and art students’ artworks alongside interactive computer games, will be projected on to buildings up both sides of the road.
Many of the Perth Road businesses will also open late and join in the fun with impressive window displays and colourful shop lights.
Winter Westfest a year in the making
Dundee Westfest chairperson Alan Wilson said the event has taken a year of careful planning in conjunction with West End councillor Fraser MacPherson and the West End Christmas Fortnight committee.
He said: “We’d worked with Dundee-based company Steve Page Lighting Ltd on a previous idea which was torpedoed by the Covid lockdown in 2020.
“So when Steve suggested resurrecting it on the Perth Road last year, we thought it was a great idea for a Winter Westfest.
“And while it’s to provide a colourful spectacle for families to enjoy, we’re also hoping to provide traders with a boost in footfall up towards the far end of Perth Road to enjoy late-night shopping.”
He added: “We’ve taken over the running of the Christmas Market at Miller’s Wynd from the Christmas Fortnight team and the entire event is being organised by our volunteer Westfest Big Sunday committee.
“We’ve been in talks with staff and gamers from Abertay University and staff from Duncan of Jordanstone to include interactive computer games and exciting original artworks as part of our lights trail, while shops and businesses from Miller’s Wynd to Sinderins are all tremendously excited.
“We’re also really excited about bringing it to fruition, a lot of work has gone into it and our volunteer committee have once again worked tirelessly, giving up their valuable time to provide something wonderful for the people of the West End.”
Call for volunteers
Organisers are hoping to see the community come out in numbers on November 28 and are also appealing for volunteers to help keep people safe as they take in the illuminations on the lights trail.
Full details can be found on Dundee Westfest’s website dundeewestfest.org and on their Facebook page.”
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