Kolkata: The 15th edition of the Kolkata Christmas Festival will be inaugurated on December 18 at Allen Park on Park Street, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee scheduled to formally open the celebrations at 4:30 pm. The festival will continue till December 30.
As part of the celebrations, the entire stretch of Park Street, Allen Park, St Paul’s Cathedral Church and adjoining areas will be illuminated with special lighting and branding from December 18 to January 5. Illumination has also been arranged at Bow Barracks.
A busking programme will be held from December 21 to 23 in the Camac Street area. Cultural programmes by the Christian community will take place from December 18 to 23. Allen Park will remain closed on December 24 and 25, while the Kolkata Police will organise a cultural programme on December 26.
From December 27 to 30, the Tourism Department will host cultural events featuring eminent artistes of West Bengal.
Various kinds of stalls will be there, mostly run by women. Along with those Tourism information kiosks, a West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation stall and a first-aid stall will be set up at Allen Park. Illumination will also be extended to churches across districts, including Darjeeling, Siliguri, Asansol, Jalpaiguri, Howrah and Bidhannagar.