Altrincham's Lantern Parade leaves Goose Green at 4.45pm on Saturday 12 December, after a free town trail from noon. Timings, last year's route and parking.
Altrincham’s Lantern Parade is on Saturday 12 December 2026, and it is free. The lanterns gather on Goose Green at 4pm, the parade sets off at 4.45pm, and it finishes in Stamford Square with a live Christmas performance at 5.30pm. Before that, a trail around the town centre starts at noon.
The quick answer
- Saturday 12 December 2026. Confirmed by St George’s Church, which runs the day with Altrincham BID and the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse.
- Noon: pick up a trail card in Stamford Square and find the characters around town.
- 4pm: gather on Goose Green with your lanterns. 4.45pm: the parade sets off.
- 5.30pm: the parade ends in Stamford Square for a live Christmas performance.
- Free. The lantern-making workshops at OYEZ Arts are booked on Eventbrite; their 2026 times are not out yet.
Checked on 19 October 2026 against the church’s own event page and Altrincham BID’s published notices.
Is it on this year?
Yes. St George’s Church’s event page says the event “returns on Saturday 12th December 2026” and gives the afternoon as 12.30pm to 5.30pm. The church calls it “completely FREE”.
It has a new name. Last year it was the Lantern Parade and Nativity Journey, and families collected Nativity Trail Cards. This year it is The Gift of Christmas Trail and Lantern Parade, and the cards are Gift of Christmas Trail Cards. The shape of the afternoon is the same.
Altrincham BID, which produces the event, had not put it on its own events calendar by 19 October. That is normal: in 2025 the BID announced the parade on 12 November and published the full route and character locations on 2 December, eleven days before it ran.
The day, hour by hour
From the St George’s Church page:
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| From 12 noon | Pick up a Gift of Christmas Trail Card and set off to meet the trail’s characters around town | Stamford Square |
| All afternoon | Live performances from local schools and community choirs | Stamford Square stage |
| Afternoon | Lantern-making workshops, booked on Eventbrite | OYEZ Arts, Altrincham Town Hall, Market Street |
| 4pm | Gather with your lanterns | Goose Green |
| 4.45pm | The Lantern Parade sets off, with the full Nativity cast, lantern puppets, schoolchildren and the Sale District Scout and Guide Band | From Goose Green |
| 5.30pm | The parade ends with a live Christmas performance | Stamford Square |
The church’s event listing runs from 12.30pm, but its own description says the trail cards are out from 12 noon. Aim for noon if you want the trail done before the parade.
Last year’s route, and what may change
The 2026 route has not been published. Last year’s, from Altrincham BID’s notice of 2 December 2025, left Goose Green at 4.45pm and passed along:
- Denmark Street
- Moss Lane
- Stamford New Road
- Regent Road
- Market Street
- Shaw’s Road
- Stamford Quarter, finishing in Stamford Square
The BID called every stretch of that a good vantage point. The start and finish are the same this year, so a similar loop is likely, but treat the street list as last year’s until the BID publishes 2026’s.
Last year’s trail characters stood at Stamford Square (Mary, Joseph and the donkey), Bounceback Food on Central Way, Altrincham Interchange, The Cheshire Tap on Railway Street, Nell’s Pizza on George Street and OYEZ Arts in the Town Hall. Children collected a stamp at each one and swapped the full card for a Christmas treat back in Stamford Square. This year’s trail has a new name, so expect new stops.
Lanterns: make one or bring one
Last year OYEZ Arts ran lantern-making workshops at Altrincham Town Hall at 12pm to 1pm and 2pm to 3pm, booked in advance on Eventbrite, and children from Altrincham CE, Cloverlea, Oldfield Brow and Stamford Park primary schools paraded with lanterns they had made. The church’s 2026 page confirms the workshops are back and bookable on Eventbrite, but no times or booking link were up on 19 October. Book as soon as the link appears.
Road closures and parking
Neither the BID nor the church has published road closures for the parade, this year or last. Last year’s route used Moss Lane, Stamford New Road and Regent Road, so allow for the parade crossing them between about 4.45pm and 5.30pm.
Parking is the harder part: it is a Saturday two weeks before Christmas, and the town centre car parks fill early. Our Altrincham parking page has the car parks, tariffs and closing times. Altrincham Interchange, which had a trail character on it last year, sits on Stamford New Road on the parade route, so the train or tram is the easier way in. Check our roadworks and travel page in the week before.
Also on in Altrincham that day
- Robin Hood at the Garrick. The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse’s pantomime plays at 1.30pm and, as a relaxed performance, at 5.30pm on Saturday 12 December. Dates and prices are on our Garrick panto page.
- The switch-on comes first. Altrincham’s Christmas lights switch-on had not been dated on 19 October; our switch-on page will carry it.
- Other fairs and markets nearby are on our Christmas markets page, and the Santa visits on our Santa’s grotto page.
Still to be published
- The 2026 route and the trail’s character stops (last year’s came out on 2 December).
- Lantern workshop times and the Eventbrite booking link.
- The Stamford Square stage line-up.
This page will be updated as each one appears.
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