A LIGHT parade will take place along Irvine Harbourside to celebrate the start of the Scottish Maritime Museum’s Christmas market next weekend.

The popular market is set to return at 6pm on Friday, November 29 with events running until Sunday, December 1.

As well as visitors to the Christmas market, North Ayrshire Council is keen to involve local businesses and community groups in the local authority-run parade, which will also shine a light on the Great Harbour Project which forms part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal, bringing investment to the Harbourside.

Everyone is invited to bring their best lit up costumes or banners and a portable speaker playing Christmas songs to the parade which will culminate in a light show, entertainment and evening market at the museum.

To help everyone sparkle on the night, the museum will also run a free light up umbrella workshop this Sunday (November 24) to help visitors make their own illuminated umbrella for the parade.

Tickets for the free workshop, which will be led by local artist Ellie Swanston and is funded by the Great Harbour Community Fund, are available on the museum’s website.

An illuminated umbrella (Image: Scottish Maritime Museum) In advance of her visit to the light parade and festive market, Provost Anthea Dickson said: “We are delighted to be supporting our partners at the Scottish Maritime Museum and the light parade is a fantastic way to open the festivities.

“We are excited about our plans for the Irvine Harbourside and the parade gives us a chance to walk the area and give people a flavour of the development that we hope will get underway fairly soon.

“The light parade will be lots of fun and hopefully bring residents, community groups and businesses together to celebrate the area as we gear up for Christmas.”

Christopher Woodland, commercial manager at the Scottish Maritime Museum, added: "We’re thrilled that the council is supporting the Scottish Maritime Museum Christmas market with a fabulous light parade and light show in the Courtyard this year.

"With the light parade and light show and all the attractions and activities we have planned, this year’s Christmas market is going to be bigger and offer everyone even more festive fun than ever. 

“We look forward to welcoming everyone over the weekend."

The parade will assemble at Cunninghame House Car Park (next to Marress House) from 5.30pm. 

It will leave at 6pm, travelling down Harbour Street, looping back up Beach Drive before running along Gottries Road and up the Linthouse Vennel to finish at the Scottish Maritime Museum. 

The end of the parade will be marked with 30 minutes of entertainment followed by a spectacular projected light display on the side of the museum’s historic Linthouse building at 7pm.

Before and after the parade, everyone will be able to enjoy shopping at a host of craft and gift stands and relaxing with entertainment and a bar serving from a converted horse box.

The Christmas market is free to enter and extends over three days for the first time this year.

The weekend will begin with an evening market from 3pm–8pm on Friday then open between 11am and 4pm over Saturday and Sunday.

On the Saturday, thanks to a Regional Food Fund award and the support of Ayrshire Food an’ a' that, visitors will enjoy lively chef demonstrations and a food market showcasing produce from across the region.

On the Sunday, younger visitors will get the chance to meet Santa and fire their imagination crafting Christmas decorations. The Linthouse will also ring to the sound of local choirs including Coast Harmony (11am) and Whitehirst Park Primary School (2pm).

Tickets for Santa cost £3.50 per child. Tickets for the children’s crafting cost £3.50 per child. Tickets can be booked online.