Ringwood’s Winter Wanderland is a series of events and activities in the Town to mark the festive period and to encouarge visitors to come into the town to view our wonderful lights, Christmas tree and support our fabulous shops, bars and restaurants.
2025's festivities started on Sunday 30 November with our popular event which included a festive market, live music, a grotto, street entertainment plus the light switch on at end of the day.
Ringwood Town Centre came alive on Sunday, 30th November for a magical day full of festive fun and cheer!
Festivities began at 11:30am, with the Christmas Light Switch-On at 6pm.
The event included:
Christmas Market - With over 80 Market Stalls to explore unique gifts, local produce, arts, crafts, and delicious food and drink options like mulled wine, hog roast, bratwurst, Greek street food, fish and chips and stone-baked pizza.
Live Stage Entertainment - The Market Place hosted performances from noon, such as – Jans Gems Dancers, Poulner Junior School choir, Churches Together choir followed by our ultimate crowd entertainment - The Big Night Out.
Miniature Steam Train Rides on the Polar Express (sponsored by The Railway Pub & Kitchen)
Santa's Grotto
Circus Workshop
Street Performers
Children’s Fair
Santa lead a festive parade, culminating in the grand Christmas Light Switch-On at 6 PM in the Market Place.
Town Mayor, Cllr Rae Frederick commented: "Another amazing year for Wanderland. The weather was fantastic, and it was wonderful to see the streets, shops, restaurants and pubs of Ringwood busy all day. The new lights, funded by Ringwood Town Council, look stunning, and we’re hugely grateful to our sponsors and the many volunteers who helped bring the event to life. We hope everyone will keep coming into town, shopping local, and supporting our brilliant businesses over the festive season.”
The votes have been counted, verified, and the results are in! The annual Christmas Window Decoration competition, part of the popular Ringwood Winter Wanderland programme, saw over 400 votes cast this year.
Queen Nails has been crowned the overall winner, edging out 26 local businesses, shops, and community organisations taking part. The winners were presented with the prestigious trophy by Town Mayor, Cllr Rae Frederick.
Gemmy Jay Nails claimed second place, while Ringwood Fabrics came in third. Little Monkeys at The Old Cottage and Hays Travel rounded out the top five.
Cllr Rae Frederick praised the competition and Queen Nails’ efforts, saying, “Once again, Ringwood Winter Wanderland has been a huge success in supporting our wonderful local shops, businesses, and community organisations. Congratulations to Queen Nails for showcasing the incredible community spirit that defines Ringwood. I want to thank everyone who participated for their time, creativity, and hard work in making this year’s event a truly festive experience.”
In addition to the window competition, Ringwood Town Council also ran the Reindeer Ramble Trail, where local families helped Santa find his hidden reindeer in shop windows around town. Random winners receive vouchers donated by local businesses, including Liberty's Owl, Raptor & Reptile Centre, Hays Travel and BrightWater.
A heartfelt thanks to our sponsors including Grotto sponsor - A-One Insurance Group and additional Sponsors The Railway Pub and Kitchen, Henderson Bearings, The Furlong Shopping Centre, Letchers Solicitors, Quantuma, RMC Motors and Lonsdale Wealth Management.
We couldn’t run this event without the support of our wonderful community. Thank you to Ringwood Carnival, Ringwood Rotary, Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions club, Ringwood Roundtable and Ringwood Men’s Shed.
Feb
The Council’s grant aid scheme is open for applications - deadline for submission is 4 March 2026.
Jan
As celebrations are planned to mark this historic anniversary, local groups and organisations are invited to get in touch with the Town Council to take part.
Jan
Our latest newsletter includes information on the extension of Ringwood Cemetery; new tree planting in some of our public open spaces; and a report on the successful Winter Wanderland event. Click on the image above to read it.
