West End Christmas Fortnight starts tomorrow – Saturday 26th November.
This year’s Dundee West End Christmas Fortnight will be the largest ever in its 22 years, with around 50 events taking place, including a Christmas Concert, Christmas Market and Lights Switch on in Perth Road, competitions including a West End Primary School Art Competition and a Primary 6 schools football competition, a Christmas Cards initiative to all West End care home residents – as well as talks, a walking tour of the West End and an event to celebrate the centenary of the Logie scheme.
During the Fortnight that runs from Saturday 26th November until Saturday 10th December, we will hold around 50 events – easily the most we have ever run. Big thanks go to all the Christmas Committee members, community groups, churches and everyone else who has made this happen – community spirit is alive and well in the wonderful West End!
A list of events is given below (apologies – a rather long list!) Please go to www.facebook.com/WestEndChristmas for full information and any booking details or please call Dundee 459378 if no Facebook access.
Until end November – Transition Dundee at The Wardrobe – Christmas Jumper Amnesty – Donate your old unwanted Christmas Jumpers and you’ll get a token in exchange – if you hand them in before the 1st December – for another Christmas jumper.
Saturday 26th November
10am to 11am – Spex Pistols Christmas Family Workshops at Gallery 48, West Port – Handmade festive printed papers and gift tags with Sooz Gordon and Cara Findlay. All welcome but booking essential.
10am to 12 noon – Dundee West Church Christmas Coffee Morning – 130/132 Perth Road – with various stalls – all welcome!
10am to 12 noon – Blackness Primary School Christmas Fair – from Friends of Blackness. Stalls include Christmas jumper swap, toy tombola, Christmas crafts, Gingerbread decorating and Luck dip candy canes – All welcome!
11am to 5.30pm – CRAFTED Festive Market at DCA – Dundee Contemporary Arts’ festive craft and design market.
11.30am to 1.30pm – Just Bee’s Charity Soup and Pudding Lunch – with various stalls including Friends of Magdalen Green craft stall – Meadowside St Paul’s Church Halls, 114-116 Nethergate (side entrance).
2pm to 4pm – Transition Dundee – Make your own earrings workshop – Come along for this upcycling workshop to turn old and broken jewellery into new pieces – perfect for a Christmas gift! Booking essential.
5pm – Botanic Garden – Walk in the Dark – For accompanied children aged 4-9 years, a special walk and seasonal activities in the garden in the dark. Booking essential.
Saturday 26th November and Sunday 27th November
10am to 4pm – Exclusively Highlands Christmas Market at Discovery Point. A fabulous Christmas Fair will be held at the newly transformed Discovery Point at Discovery Quay, Riverside Drive – runs both days.
11am to 4pm – Christmas Fayre at Verdant Works. A magical Christmas Fayre set within the iconic High Mill – runs both days.
Monday 28th November
Children’s Crafts – from Blackness Library! This week, Blackness Library is producing “craft in a bag” for local children to collect from the library. From today, week one’s craft bag is available – a tiny elf house!
10.30am to 12.30pm – West End Carers’ Christmas Arts and Crafts – at Blackness Library. To find out more about West End Carers, call Dundee Carers Centre on 200422.
6.30pm – Christmas in Print – the Victorian era – an online event with Erin Farley of Dundee Libraries. For access information go to the West End Christmas Fortnight Facebook page.
Tuesday 29th November
6pm to 8pm – Transition Dundee – Pet Bed Workshop – This workshop involves some basic sewing to turn old duvets/pillows and fabric scraps into a beautiful pet bed. Booking essential.
7pm – ‘Christmas With The Stars’ – an on-line astronomy talk with thanks to Lifelong Learning Dundee.
Wednesday 30th November
6.30pm – Christmas in Print – the twentieth century – an online event with Erin Farley of Dundee Libraries. For access information go to the West End Christmas Fortnight Facebook page.
Thursday 1st December
12 noon to 2pm – West End Blethers from Dundee Pensioners’ Forum – at The Friary in Tullideph Road. Aimed at older people in the West End, enjoy a cup of tea/coffee, cake, scones, and a bowl of soup.
1pm to 3pm – Carols at the Corso Street sheltered lounge – for the sheltered tenants at Abbotsford/Corso area.
2pm to 3.30pm – Dundee Carers Centre – Dementia Café Christmas Party – Logie & St John’s (Cross) Church. To find out more, call Dundee Carers Centre on 200422. Also the Sinderins Community Hub – a cuppa and warm welcome for all in the community meets at the church 1pm to 3pm.
4pm to 8pm – CHRISTMAS FORTNIGHT HIGHLIGHT! – West End Christmas Market at the Miller’s Wynd car park and community fridge in Perth Road. Full details to follow tomorrow!
6.15pm to 7.05pm – CHRISTMAS FORTNIGHT HIGHLIGHT! – The West End Christmas Concert at Dundee West Church. Further details to follow tomorrow!
Shoppers’ night in the West End – many West End shops will have late opening and special offers on Thursday 1st December.
Friday 2nd December
7pm to 9pm – Harris Education and Recreation Association Christmas Night – At the Vine, all welcome!
Saturday 3rd December
10am to 11am – Spex Pistols Christmas Family Workshops at Gallery 48, West Port – Handmade embossed foil decorations with Cara Findlay and Sooz Gordon. All welcome but booking essential.
10am to 12 noon – Harris Academy Christmas Fayre – including stalls – Free entry all welcome!
10.30am – 11.30am – Blackness Library -“From Garden to Eden” -a free talk at Blackness Library by Iain Flett on the history of the Eden Project site.
11am to 4pm – Christmas Vintage market at Roseangle Kitchen Café. Free entry – all welcome!
12 noon to 1.30pm – “A space to connect” – at Victoria Gardens, with Eden Project Communities.
12.30pm – The West End Christmas Fortnight Primary 6 football competition at Harris Academy. With thanks to the schools for all their help with this. P6 teams participating from our local primary schools.
Sunday 4th December
3pm to 5pm – Christmas at The Gate Church. A community Christmas celebration with carols, sweet treats and Santa Claus!
1pm to 2pm – Magdalen Green – community planting event. All welcome!
Monday 5th December
Children’s Crafts – from Blackness Library! This week, Blackness Library is again producing “craft in a bag” for local children to collect from the library. From today, week two’s craft bag is available – a tiny snowman!
10.30am to 12.30pm – West End Carers’ Christmas Party – at Blackness Library. To find out more about West End Carers, call Dundee Carers Centre on 200422.
12 noon to 4pm – Christmas Party at the Queen’s Hotel – for sheltered tenants in Corso/Abbotsford area.
6pm to 8pm – Family Scalextric/Hotwheels Night – Dundee West Church (Upper Hall) – The biggest digital slot car layout you’ve seen – open to all ages (teams of 4). To book your place, please call 07711 177655.
Tuesday 6th December
6pm to 8pm – Transition Dundee – Sustainable Gifting Workshop – This will be a fun and sociable evening covering how to gift more sustainably this Christmas, with some crafts to take home with you.
6.30pm – Hogmanay in Print – the Victorian era – an online event with Erin Farley of Dundee Libraries. For access information go to the West End Christmas Fortnight Facebook page.
Wednesday 7th December
12 noon to 2pm – ‘Easy Willow Christmas Decorations’ Workshop at Ninewells Community Garden
2pm – Public Art West End walking tour – Join Matthew Jarron from the University of Dundee.
Thursday 8th December
12 noon to 2pm – West End Blethers from Dundee Pensioners’ Forum – at The Friary in Tullideph Road.
1pm to 3pm – Sinderins Community Hub – a cuppa and warm welcome for all in the community. Takes place at Logie & St John’s (Cross) Church.
7pm to 9pm – West End Community & Business Awards night – The Vine. All welcome!
Friday 9th December
12 noon to 2.30pm – Logie Centenary event. Lime Street Sheltered Lounge – for Logie residents – includes sandwich lunch and a talk on the history of the scheme from Sarah Aitken of City Archives.
2pm to 4pm – St Joseph’s RC Primary School Christmas Fayre – All pupils, parents and carers welcome!
6.30pm to 7.30pm – Louisiana Fairytale Riverboat Jazz Band Concert – at The Gate, 158 Perth Road. Free concert with this hugely talented jazz band – all welcome – no booking required.
Saturday 10th December
10am and 11am – Children’s Craft events. For young school age children, these 2 one hour free workshops are led by Lisa Earl of ‘Create … Kids Create Crafts’. Logie & St John’s (Cross) Church Hall. Booking essential at www.tiny.cc/Crafts-booking
12 noon to 2pm and also 2pm to 4pm – Transition Dundee – Make your own lamp workshop – Join tutor Davie to turn an old bottle into a lamp, a perfect Christmas Gift for a loved one. You will learn some basic wiring skills and take your lamp home with you – bring your own bottle if they/you have a favourite tipple, or take one of ours donated by a local bar!
11am to 5pm – Charity Cushion Sale – Logie & St John’s (Cross) Church Hall – proceeds to Dundee Foodbank.
