Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the 8th Christmas Festival 2018 at Allen Park in Park Street on December 21.
This year, the special attraction of the festival will be the performances by buskers in and around Park Street & at Camac Street crossing on the day of Christmas from 4 pm to 10 pm. They will be performing at designated places to spread the essence of the festival in the best possible way.
"Kolkata is perhaps the only city in the world where Christmas is celebrated in such a grand and befitting manner," said Atri Bhattacharya, Principal Secretary of the state Tourism department.
For the first time this year, the state government will illuminate and brand seven churches in the state — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Jalpaiguri, Bandel, Chandannagore & Krishnanagar. There will be cultural programmes at the Chandannagore church from December 26 to 28.
The entire stretch of Park Street & Allen Park and St. Cathedral Church will be illuminated with proper branding from December 21 to 30 with the help of a luxury hotel at Park Street and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
There will be cultural programmes and performances from noted artists, who have been roped in coordination with the state Information & Cultural Affairs department.
They will be performing from December 21 to 30 at Allen Park except on December 25. On December 26, there will be performances by the band of Kolkata Police at the
same venue.
"There will be competition among participants dressing up as Santa Claus and Mother Mary and the best among them will be rewarded," an official of the state I& CA
department said.
It may be mentioned that the Christmas Festival at Park Street and its festive fervour draws a large number of foreign tourist as well and the state Tourism department is hopeful of the footfall increasing further this year.
There will also be an array of other cultural performances from December 27-30 managed by Information and Cultural Affairs department.
The Tourism department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police will oversee the security and everything else during the festival.