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The Festive Season in Mid Wales

Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to Christmas, there are Farmers Markets, Christmas concerts and Craft Fairs in Mid Wales. Enjoy shopping for Welsh Royal Crystal, Welsh quilts, love spoons, amazing Welsh food and Whisky and at Rhiannon, the Celtic Design Centre in Tregaron, beautiful jewellery handmade in silver and gold.

This year the Christmas Craft and Gift Fair at Aberystwyth Arts Centre will have over 80 stalls selling unusual, interesting and unique crafts - jewellery, ceramics, toys, prints, games and other goodies. There are Christmas Fairs in Cardigan, Hay-on-Wye, Welshpool and the National Wool Museum.

Enjoy a shopping weekend at the Centre for Alternative Technology and the Christmas Special event at Corris Craft Centre, when King Arthur's Labyrinth Underground Adventure will be transformed into an underground Santa's Grotto, accessed only by a unique underground boat ride. Back above ground, the 10 individual Craft workshops will open for Christmas shopping.

Powis Castle and Gardens have a programme of festive activities for all the family, including Carols in the Ballroom, Christmas lunches and late night shopping. There will be an evening of Christmas Delights and a Christmas Craft and Food Fair at Llanerchaeron, when you can listen to carols as you browse for presents. At the 170 year old Hall at Abbey-Cwm-Hir, all of the 52 rooms in the mansion will be decorated.

To whet your appetite, here are details of some of the events taking place over the next few weeks…

Mid Wales Beer Festival

Friday 16 - Sunday 25 November, Llanwrtyd Wells

This wonderfully friendly annual Beer Festival is held in various free Houses of Llanwrtyd Wells, the smallest town in Britain. There are about 60 different Real Ales on offer and some specialist bottled beers.

The first weekend of the Festival sees the Real Ale Wobble on cycles and the final weekend, the Real Ale Ramble. In both these non-competitive events, those who have booked in receive tokens which they can exchange for free half pints of real ale at the checkpoints.

There is an entertainment programme throughout the week in the local hostelries in the evenings. There is a great emphasis on the social aspect of drinking real ale in pleasant surroundings amongst good company.

The Royal Welsh Winter Fair

Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 November, Builth Wells

Don't miss the final Royal Welsh event of the year!

The programme for the Fair offers a wide variety of events ranging from the judging of livestock, poultry and horses in the main indoor arenas to the judging of floral art, produce and handicrafts in the South Glamorgan Hall. The Food Hall is packed with the best of Welsh Produce - give your taste buds a treat, and sample the mouthwatering range of foods before filling the shopping bags!

There is the Christmas Shopping Pavilion, if you're looking for those ‘out of the ordinary’ Christmas presents. With less than 30 days to Christmas, don't miss this opportunity to reduce the length of your shopping list! There are Antiques and Fashion Shows, and the voices of the joint choirs of Talgarth, Rhayader and Builth Wells who will be performing at the event.

The Santa Run

Sunday 9 December, Newtown

One of the most Christmassy events you could imagine will be in Newtown early in December - the annual Santa Run. Each year the town of Newtown is transformed as thousands of ‘Santas’ descend on the town to take part in 4.5 mile festive charity fun run.

Over the past years the annual Santa Run has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes, national and international. In 2004, over 4,000 people from all over the world and all dressed as Santa - gathered, ran and broke the Guinness World Record for the largest number of Santa's in one place!

Santa Special Trains

Children will love a trip on one of the ‘Santa Special Trains’, as they steam through the countryside of Mid Wales. There are Santa Specials on The Ffestiniog, Bala Lake, Fairbourne, Corris, Talyllyn, Welshpool and Llanfair, Rheidol or Brecon Mountain Railways, choose one or maybe try them all. Santa really gets around!

New Year Festivities

See in the New Year in Llanwrtyd Wells, where you can join in the Mari Llwyd, an old Welsh tradition when people carry the Mari (a horse skull on a long pole) from house to house!!

Take the short torch light walk from the square at 11pm returning for traditional midnight celebrations in the square to welcome the New Year in. Give the old year a wonderful send off with fireworks on the beach at Aberdyfi.

Want to know more about the variety of festive events, farmers markets and entertainment taking place here in Mid Wales, then look at www.midwalesevents.co.uk