La Fête dé Noué Christmas Festival

admin · 28-10-2007, 13:01 PM

La Fête dé Noué Christmas Festival

Friday 1st to Saturday 23rd December

'Under a Canopy of Christmas Lights the street was packed with late-night shoppers and strollers, accordion bands and Morris dancers, choirs and fiddle players.'

Christmas for Real

We’ve all heard of real food and real ale. But how about a return to the real Christmas? It’s still on the cards in Jersey, as Roger Thomas discovers.

Christmas in Jersey? It’s not the first place you’d think of, perhaps, for that winter break. But the more you get to know the island, the less you believe in those old Jersey stereotypes.
I’m a typical example. A few years ago my image of Jersey was bound up in Bergerac and those double breasted blazers worn by Alan Whicker. The island, as I saw it, was a comfy old sofa that had seen better days. Then I hopped on a plane and took a look for the first time. My imagined Jersey was long gone, replaced by an island of cosmopolitan lifestyles and café society. The trouble is, being reticent islanders they don’t shout loudly enough about it all. Which brings us neatly to La Fête dé Noué.
You’ve probably not heard of it, but what started as ‘a local event for local people’ has grown into a month long Christmas festival that’s as atmospheric and animated as anything you’ll find in Germany. Running from 1st to 23rd December, it’s a midwinter fiesta that’s reassuringly traditional yet positively youthful, bringing warmth and light to our darkest, chilliest season. So I found myself on 21st December, the shortest day of the year, celebrating the winter solstice with mums and dads, kids and couples, in the packed streets of St Helier. It was a clear evening but at 6pmmild enough – just – to join the hardy revellers for an alfresco drink outside the Cock and Bottle brasserie in Royal Square.
I’d been in Royal Square earlier in the day when, as a countdown to Christmas, a comic prop ‘Advent Door’ was opened to reveal a daily surprise performance by a bunch of energetic street performers. But tonight we were in for something really special. Free mulled wine and mince pies served courtesy of Jersey Arts Centre were the hors d’oeuvres to the arrival of a troupe of deranged fire eating jugglers, who created a dazzling ‘Festival of Light’ to banish the dark demons of the winter solstice.
Around the corner on King Street – St Helier’s main shopping thoroughfare – there was little need for extra illumination. Under a canopy of Christmas lights the street was packed with latenight shoppers and strollers, accordion bands and Morris dancers, choirs and fiddle players. Local delicacies like chocolates flavoured with Jersey Black Butter were leaping off the shelves, noses were pressed to the windows of the island’s famous jewellers, and the big department stores – De Gruchy and Voisins– were busy gift wrapping everything from clothes to ceramics.
But – and here’s the rub – it wasn’t Christmas, UK style, where the season has sadly declined into one long shopping binge. Lots of people were just out for the evening, simply soaking up the atmosphere. And I don’t think I heard Noddy Holder belting out Merry Christmas Everybody. Not once.

Download the Festival Programme (PDF)

admin · 04-12-2007, 13:16 PM

The Economic Development Minister has confirmed financial support towards staging this year’s ice skating rink, which will once again form part of the Fête dé Noué programme. The decision comes as a result of a direct approach to the department for funding by Media Masters, the company staging the event.

Over the previous two years the ice skating rink has been staged on part of the Waterfront site; however, the Waterfront Enterprise Board concluded in September this year that event management was no longer core to its business activities.

The Economic Development Department has always supported this activity, seeing it as an important part of their Fête dé Noué Christmas programme and were keen to pursue alternative arrangements. A proposal to stage a similar event with an international food village on Parade Gardens received strong support from the Connétable of St Helier and although private sponsorship had been obtained the event organisers approached Economic Development to bridge the funding gap. Following the revised procedures now in place for grant funding the proposals were examined by officials and a recommendation made to the Minister. The Minister has authorised a grant of £25,000.

Senator Philip Ozouf, Minister for Economic Development, says, “We are delighted to sponsor this event which will offer both visitors and residents a great experience over the festive period and will complement our exciting programme of activities during La Fête dé Noué.”

dannyt · 13-12-2007, 19:09 PM

there was not much festive cheer in town tonight the whole island must have been out shopping. think i will leave it till saturday morning, we might even get a free glass of wine