Kolkata: The Kolkata Christmas Festival will kick off on Dec 19, with an inaugural ceremony at Allen Park on Park Street. The festival, which has become permanent fixture on the city’s festive calendar, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata BanerjeeRepresentatives of various churches in the city will also be present at the ceremony.
The entire stretch of Park Street, Allen Park, stretches of Camac Street, St Paul’s Cathedral Church and the surrounding areas will be illuminated with festive lights, with food stalls and kiosks to assist visitors. “The entire festival has been curated by CM Mamata Banerjee. The tourism department, along with KMC, KP and other departments, have come together to provide logistics support,” said tourism minister Indranil Sen.
In addition to the illuminations, the festival will feature several cultural programs, which will include both traditional Christmas carols and modern renditions. Singer and musician Remo Fernandes will perform at Allen Park on Dec 20. “Kolkata Police will organize a cultural program on Dec 26. The tourism department will organize programs from Dec 27 to 30,” said an official associated with the festival.
The Kolkata Christmas Festival, which began in 2011, has grown in popularity over the years. The festival has become one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year after the Red Road Durga Puja carnival. Lakhs of locals as well as tourists throng the area during this period.
The celebrations will extend beyond Kolkata to several other towns in the state such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Asansol, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Chandernagore, Bandel, Krishnanagar, Jhargram, Purulia, Baruipur, Alipurduar, Howrah and Bidhannagar.