The 2008 Union Street Christmas Lights switch on will take place on the 16 November 08 and forms part of the Aberdeen Winter Festival. It is hoped that a new addition to the Union Street Christmas lights will be a nativity scene. More information and photos to follow.

More Christmas Events and to read about the pantomime and other Christmas displays.

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The 2007 Union Street Christmas Lights switch on will take place on the 18 November after the Santa and Reindeer Parade.

Father Christmas and his reindeer will travel in their sleigh from the Castlegate and up through Union Street to the Mall Trinity Shopping Centre. Joining Father Christmas and Rudolph will be the Anne Buchan Dancers, Aberdeen Cheerleaders, members of the Loirston Drama Group Attic Theatre and the Portlethen Pipe Band. Santa Claus will give out free candy canes and masks to children. Everyone can then visit the reindeer at the Mall Trinity. This event starts at noon.

Joining Santa in his sleigh is brave Connah Broome who has a rare form of neuroblastoma cancer. Though Welsh Connah Borrome's great aunt Sylvia Koren lives in Ellon, Aberdeenshire and the people of Ellon actively raised money to help send Connah to America for the latest medical treatment.

After the noon Reindeer parade up Union Street Santa's reindeer will be penned at Bridge Street so that children can come and say hello.

As darkness falls the Xmas lights will be switched on through Union Street and another parade will take place with festive and carnival characters, street entertainment and musicians. This second parade will take place from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Street entertainment at 4:30 starts the countdown to the switching on and the switching on Christmas lights parade will start at 5pm. As it passes each overhead light is passed it will be switched on. Once the lights are switched on Aberdeen University students will follow in their carnival floats and raise a collection for the students charities campaign.

Heading the Union Street Christmas lights switch on parade for 2007 will be the Lord Provost of Aberdeen Mr Peter Stephen. Joining him will be brave Jazmyn Jeffrey who was chosen because of her cheerfulness in fighting acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. They will be accompanied by the Voice of Aberdeen City and Shire 2007 Leanne Waddell and her son Reuben. Together they will lead the carnival procession and following Jazmyn Jeffrey, Lord Provost of Aberdeen Mr Peter Stephen and Leanne and Reuben Waddell will be a colourful procession of Notting Hill Carnival characters from London and the Robert Gordon College Pipe Band. As they pass each Christmas light on Union Street it will be switched on. This part of the winter festival for Aberdeen City will start from Albyn Place at 5pm and ends at the Castlegate at approximately 5:45pm.

2006 19 November - Union Street Christmas Lights were switched on.

The celebrity star for the 2006 Aberdeen Christmas Light Switch On was Michael Barrymore who was at HMT starring in Scrooge. Joining him was Lady Provost Helen Reynolds and Aberdeen laddie 3 year old Joe Noble who was nominated by his great granny for being a brave wee boy this year and enduring a major operation. She wrote to the Aberdeen Lord Provost, John Reynolds, and asked if he would make his wish come true to be aboard the horse drawn coach going up Union Street switching on each light. Kind hearted Lord Provost John Reynolds played Jim and fixed it for Joe and mum Debbie! The horses and coach left Albyn Place at 5:15pm.

2005
On November 20th 2005 the Union Street, Aberdeen Christmas lights were switched on by the Lord Provost and celebrity guests.

The Mall Trinity Reindeer Parade
Kicking off the Xmas festivities was The Mall Trinity Santa and reindeer parade which started at the Castlegate at noon and lead onto The Trinity centre. Eric Pollard from Emmerdale (actor Chris Chittel) was seated on the sleigh.

Union Street Christmas Parade
The seasonal event continued with a parade through Union Street. This started from Albyn Place at 5:15pm.

This year had a Dutch theme with a traditional Black Peter (Zwarte Pieten) who rode a white horse. He was accompanied by local Dutch children.

John Reynolds, the Lord Provost, and his wife Helen followed on in a horse drawn carriage.

Aberdeen Pantomime Stars
Behind them was the stars of this year's pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk who included Cameron Stout and Miles Jupp. They were in an open topped bus. Miss Commonwealth Scotland, Amanda-Jane Taylor was the Christmas Fairy, lighting the lights with her magic wand as she passed underneath in the open topped bus.

Other parade vehicles included a lorry with a nativity scene, a circus complete with ringmaster and animals and various musicians.

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