Ballina comes together to plan for a bright and festive Christmas
The 'Let There Be Light' Ballina Christmas Festival Committee has brought local businesses and councillors together to plan a vibrant Christmas programme, with events and activities set to take place across the town from 22 November.
Plans are well underway in preparation for Christmas in Ballina as the ‘Let There Be Light’ Ballina Christmas Festival Committee has already begun looking ahead.
A meeting was held earlier this week, where local businesses and members of the public, Cllr Annie May Reape and Cllr Marie Therese Duffy, as well as representatives from Ballina Chamber of Commerce and Mayo North Tourism, met to look ahead to this years lights.
The meeting highlighted the importance of local collaboration and buy-in in making the plans for Ballina a success. Both Cllr Annie May Reape and Cllr Marie Therese Duffy welcomed the initiative and offered their support to the committee as plans progress, recognising the importance of working together to create a vibrant town centre and a strong programme of events for the community.
The meeting focused on the importance of working together to promote Ballina as a great place to shop, visit and enjoy during the festive season, while supporting local businesses and creating a strong programme of events for the town.
The annual Christmas Lights Switch-On will take place on Sunday, 22 November, with plans already in place for a very special event. Last year’s switch-on, which featured popular Mayo musician Garron Noone, generated huge excitement, and the committee is promising something very memorable and somewhat different this year as it looks to build on that momentum.
The event will run from approximately 3:00 pm into the early evening, with a full programme of entertainment and activities to be announced. The much-loved festive events at the Clarke Museum of Irish History will again form part of the celebrations, with lots more detail to follow in the coming weeks.
The committee is also expanding the Christmas lights into additional areas of the town this year, while the popular Ballina Pumpkin Patch will return from 24–26 October, bigger and better than last year. Let There Be Light is also delighted to be a charity partner of the Sunflower Children’s Hospice 2026.
The Ballina Christmas Market is also set to make a welcome return this festive season, adding another much-loved element to the town’s Christmas programme. The market will provide an opportunity for locals and visitors to browse a range of stalls, find something a little different for Christmas and enjoy the atmosphere in the town.
Local businesses are being encouraged to get involved in the Christmas celebrations, including a town-wide Christmas window dressing initiative being developed in partnership with Ballina Chamber of Commerce. A prize will be awarded for the winning display, with more details on the initiative to follow.
Speaking on the ‘Let There Be Light’ initiative, Mairéad Melody-Carr, Manager of Mayo North Tourism, said: “Christmas is an important time for Ballina, and Mayo North Tourism is delighted to support Let There Be Light in promoting the town to both locals and visitors. There is a huge amount of work going on locally, and working together and spreading the word will be key to making it a success.”
Also speaking on the initiative, Paul Burke of the Let There Be Light Committee said,
“More businesses, community groups and volunteers are needed. There are lots of ways to get involved, from helping with events and spreading the word to dressing shop windows, sharing information online or simply putting forward ideas and suggestions. We want everyone to feel part of what we are planning for Ballina this year.”