Note the date on your diary: the kickoff of the Christmas lights in Caen will be on November 27, 2021. 700 decorations and patterns and fifteen kilometers of garlands in gold and silver colors will be in the city center but also in the neighborhoods. The facades of the Town Hall, the Place Saint Sauveur, the Leroy Tower and the Guérinière Water Tower will be illuminated.
The cats got the better of the Ferris wheel!
Since their installation in early October, the bronze statues of cats by Philippe Geluck have attracted crowds. But their presence in front of the Town Hall prevented the installation of the traditional Ferris wheel, explains Ludwig Willaume, deputy mayor in charge of public spaces. “It is a very imposing piece of equipment that requires a lot of space“. The cohabitation of felines and the Ferris wheel was therefore not possible at the end of the year. “But we haven’t said our last word continues Ludwig Willaume, the big wheel could come back later“. During the February or Easter holidays, the information remains to be confirmed …
But the public should not be bored, because the program of the festivities is loaded
First there is the traditional Christmas market. The latter is moving this year. There it is not because of the cats, but because of the re-installation in progress of the Friday market place Saint Sauveur. The fifty chalets will therefore settle Place du Théâtre, Place de la République and Boulevard Maréchal-Leclerc. Three large fir trees will also be erected on Place Saint Sauveur, Place de la République and Square Soreth, near Place de la Resistance.
The Place de la République is already busy with cats and chalets, the great scenography this year will take place at Place Saint Sauveur. “A magical show of light and water, summarizes Catherine Pradal-Chazarenc, deputy mayor in charge of trade, with a sparkling star 4 meters high that will illuminate the square with its thousand facets“. A show that is meant to be interactive. “A box will collect the wishes of children every day, but also of the oldest. And the next day a selection of these wishes will be broadcast by the giant star“.
Also on the program, wanderings of Santa Claus, a giant treasure hunt in the city center where you will have to discover hidden letters and street performances…
To accompany the festivities, a solidarity Christmas
Families assisted by the communal social action center will be able to receive, if they so request, a gift voucher per child under 4 years old and an invitation to the end-of-year show at the Zénith. A exceptional bonus can also be allocated to job seekers, under certain conditions. Finally, a Christmas dinner will be distributed to homeless people on December 25 at noon Clos du Poteau-Rouge.
Shops open on Sundays, free shuttle and parking
For the end of year celebrations, the City of Caen authorizes traders to open every Sunday, from November 28 to December 26. A shuttle bus serves the city center for free, from the Parc Expo to the Alexis-de-Tocqueville library, Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (passage every 15 minutes). In pedestrian streets, it only takes a call gesture for it to stop. At last some good parking tips :
– The car parks of the old central library and the town hall are free and open to everyone on Saturdays. Accessible from Place Guillouard, they have a total of 230 parking spaces.
– On Saturdays, parking is free from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. possibility of parking in the city center by taking advantage of the spaces in the yellow and red zones, as well as in the parking lots at the Courtonne and Vendeuvre barriers.
– Shopping to do to prepare for the weekend… From 5 pm to 7 pm on Thursday, on-street parking is free (excluding parking lots with barriers).
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