This Christmas, Light Up Trails brings you a stunning and immersive light art walk on the beautiful grounds of Wiston Estate close to Steyning. Inspired by the theme ‘Hope’ in what has been a difficult year, this is the perfect treat for friends and family of all ages. The beauty of this trail is revealed as darkness falls on 8th December 2020 and will run until 3rd January 2021 between 4pm and 10pm.

The mile-long trail will be full of all kinds of light and sound installations, including an ‘enchanted forest’, a ‘rainbow in the dark’ feature, and a specially created wildlife projection  with a guest appearance from Santa, created by world-renowned artists, one of whom produced the light show onto Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Jubilee! There will also be lots of festive refreshments and food, such as crepes, hot dogs, and mulled wine.

With another national lockdown having been announced, many Christmas traditions have been cancelled, along with pantomimes and Christmas markets, and everyone is going to be itching to get out and have some fun at the end of this lockdown. Light Up Wiston Estate is a Covid safe, outdoor event that will truly get you in the festive spirit and bring back some normality this Christmas. The founders are determined to bring joy and restore your hope, as that is the theme of the light trail this Christmas, and they will not be defeated by Covid-19! They are working with one of the top Covid-19 safety officers to carefully plan this enchanting route and be able to ensure the safety of visitors. All staff will be wearing appropriate PPE and there will be several hand sanitising stations, as well as friendly stewards on hand to ensure social distancing is maintained. Due to the national lockdown, the maximum capacity per slot has also been reduced to ensure that everyone feels safe and can enjoy the event without worry.

Light Up Wiston Estate will also be supporting local Sussex hospices, Chestnut Tree House (who provide hospice care for children and young people with life-shortening conditions across Sussex) and St Barnabas House (who provide palliative care to adults in the Worthing area) by donating a percentage of the profits to the charities. In support of the hospices, Light Up Wiston Estate will be holding quiet/shielding sessions on 9th December for those that it would benefit.

Sarah Colbourne, Head of Fundraising at Chestnut Tree House and St Barnabas House, said “We are so grateful when events such as this choose to support the hospices. This year has been very difficult in terms of fundraising, so donations are more important than ever. We’re also very excited that this is an event which many of the Chestnut Tree House children and their families can enjoy. The sensory element of Light Up will be great for them, and many of our vulnerable families or those that need surroundings to be quieter will be warmed by the fact that they are being accommodated.”

As a special promotion, Light Up Wiston Estate will also be awarding a family ticket to three randomly selected people that like their Facebook page, https://facebook.com/lightuptrails, before December 8th! There will also be extra deals announced throughout November on More Radio, so be sure to listen out.

Lucinda Croft and Libby Battaglia, founders of Light Up Trails and childhood school friends, said “We are so happy that we could bring our spectacular event to life this year. We’re super excited to welcome everyone and for them to experience all the wonder of the light installations that will be along the trail. This Christmas more than most, we want to bring some light into the darkness of 2020 and help people create a special memory.”

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For more details and to book your tickets, see https://lightuptrails.com. If the national lockdown is extended beyond the opening date, all customers that have booked cancelled slots will be given a full refund.

By purchasing tickets you will be supporting local businesses and the arts industry, which have been hit hard by the pandemic. After what has been a very difficult year, everyone deserves some Christmas joy, so please join us at the Light Up Wiston Estate for a spectacular night; creating memories and bringing families together.

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