New winter festival lighting up city park

Peterborough's Ferry Meadows is hosting its first ever Winter Festival, which will raise money for the upkeep of the park.

Taking place until Christmas Eve, the ticketed event includes a light trail, live performances, a cinema truck and an audio-visual display of poetry.

Staff at Nene Park Trust said it took five months of hard work to get the site ready for its largest fundraiser of the year.

Joanna Bacon, from the charity, described the festival as "magical".

Last year, Ferry Meadows had an ice rink and a Christmas market, but Nene Park Trust, which oversees the site and five other city parklands, said it wanted to do "something different" this year.

Visitors can walk through a lit woodland with illuminated willow creatures, which then leads on to an enchanted forest area.

There are performances from the Eastern School of Performing Arts and an installation by Syntax Poetry Collective members.

Visitors can also watch Christmas TV classic The Snowman and have a go on traditional fairground stalls.

"We are really excited for the festival," said Ms Bacon.

"The park is looking beautiful with all the trees lit up. We have never done something like this, so we're really looking forward to it."

Much of Ferry Meadows has undergone a revamp in recent months, with work due to start on a new activity centre next year.

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