"Time goes so fast – I can hardly believe it is Late Night Shopping time again!

A lot of hard work has been done by an excellent team of volunteers to make sure that we have a first class Late Night Shopping experience for everyone again this year.

We’re delighted to have the return of the Harborough Band - as well as the delightful real live Reindeer, generously sponsored by Andrew Granger & Co.

Thanks again to Zizzi’s, and to Joules (our local national brand!) for their kind support of the raffle, along with a number of other businesses who are giving their support.

We'd also like to say a big thank you for the generous support of the Late Night Shopping ‘Hog Roast’ from chef David Dudley from ‘By George’; the 'hog' supplied by Waterloo Farm, Great Oxendon; rolls supplied by Emerson and West; kitchen facilities from The George, Great Oxendon and Calor Gas from Harborough Hire Centre. 

Both the Market Harborough Chamber of Trade & Harborough Improvement Team have contributed to the cost of staging the event. We also receive contributions to cover the cost from the fairground rides, food vendors and the charity stalls.

Late Night Shopping is clearly a major public social event for the town, and the regular attendance of large crowds is ultimately the reward we get for the effort we, as a Committee, put in – so thank you for coming along and making it such a success – it makes you a part of our team!

I hope that you will agree that it is a time of year when we should make a special effort to think of and support those who are less fortunate, and that you will be generous yourselves with the various charity stalls, and also in buying tickets for the official Late Night Shopping Raffle.

We’re not ashamed to plug the “Shopping” part of the message either – shop local has never been more important! So, please support all the shops in town when doing your Christmas shopping this year, both on the night and in the run up to Christmas.

May I just round off by wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year."

Here at thebestof Market Harborough, we fully support Martin's message about supporting our local stores and we'll be around on Friday helping to sell the raffle tickets, so come along and buy some and say hello!