In Christmas, leicester, leicestershire, Events, Attractions, food, drink, taste the place

So, it’s time for the second part of our countdown of 2023’s bester Leicester moments (sorry... so sorry). As if the first half of the year wasn’t busy enough, things kicked into overdrive for the second half of the year, with even more anniversaries and celebrations, more great food events, and the small matter of the biggest gig seen in Leicester for more than 20 years!

July

We had an amazing team-up with the Leicester Riders and their star player Conor Washington for our Fitcation campaign. Conor took the challenge of making the highest slam dunk of his career as he jumped from the high tower at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre!

It was a very special anniversary this month for the Loughborough’s Carillion Tower as it celebrated its Centenary. The tower, which is filled with bells forged at the nearby Taylor Foundry, has been ringing out across Loughborough for 100 years, and let’s hope 100 more! Uncover the Story of Taylor’s, the only remaining bellfoundry in the UK!

It was an Indian Summer in Leicester as the popular festival came to the city in July, with amazing dancing, awesome music and great food.

We took a well-earned break and handed over control of Visit Leicester to local influencer Lauren In Leicester who gave us her perspective on the city and county we call home showcasing amazing places to go with the family.

August

Did you know that Leicestershire is the home of afternoon tea? Well we celebrated Afternoon Tea Week at the start of August by pairing up with a group of local influencers who showcased some of the best places to try it. From the home of the dish at Belvoir Castle to a vegan version at Cattows Farm, and of course the best value Mrs Bridges Tearooms, it was fantastic to celebrate these local delights! Check out our top 13 Afternoon Tea spots.

As part of the Taste the Place we launched our Leicester Curry Diploma. Designed as a fun way to explore the city’s Indian restaurants, the curry Diploma have since been featured by the BBC and at the Leicestershire Curry Awards! Why not try it for yourself?

One of the highlights of the summer for many people was the Cosby Yarn Bomb, now honoured with a Leicestershire Tourism Award for best free activity! This year’s theme was film and TV and it was a real trip down memory lane seeing these incredible woollen creations!

We hosted a number of events this year as part of the Taste the Place campaign, but this hidden gem was a real treat. It was the launch of Harborough’s Taste the Place offer and the beautiful Café Ventoux in Tugby was the perfect location to showcase great local produce! Taste the Place in Harborough here on our website.

September

An explosive start to September as we attended the Victory Show in Cosby. This is the biggest World War II re-enactment in the country and the show was truly spectacular, with full scale battles, literal fields full of encampments and displays from vintage aircraft.

Back to the Daily Mail, and we were gobsmacked to see that Leicester is allegedly the home of Britain’s worst cake bakers. Now we know that isn’t the case, with some incredible local bakeries and no less than 6 Great British Bake Off contestants, including one winner and two other finalists (more on that later).

Of course we can’t talk about September without mentioning BBC Radio 2 in the Park can we? For a couple of weeks the eyes of the nation were turned on Leicester and we can’t deny that we loved the attention! Two days, 70,000 people, Kylie giving it Padam, Jeremy Vine in the Old Horse, James Blunt crowdsurfing in a Union Flag dingy, Hanson and Busted MmmBopping, Rick Astley, the rain, the sun, The Pretenders, and of course THAT TWEET. Check out all the highlights here.

And yes, we totally took advantage of the latest meme template that was floating around the internet, as with a city steeped in 2000 years of history, we definitely think about Ancient Rome at least once a day! Uncover our 2000 years of history right here.

The Leicestershire Curry Awards were one of the highlights of the autumn and we were proud to be one of the official sponsors of the night. The awards recognise some of the very best South Asian eateries, and highlighted Leicester’s bid to reclaim the title of Britain’s Curry Capital! Read more and find out who won in our blog here.

October

He nearly had it! Pipped at the final hurdle, but we were so very proud of Josh Smalley who was a runner up in this year’s Great British Bake Off. As a Leicestershire resident, his bakes were inspired by the county and we particularly loved his Leicester Tigers inspired masterpiece for bread week. Well done Josh!

Spooky Season was in full effect as the Leicester Monster Trail wowed visitors to the city centre throughout October. These inflatable fun monsters took over some of the city’s most iconic buildings and filled our streets with families and kids trying to spot them all!

For the third year, Leicester Restaurant Week returned to bring happiness and full tummies to Leicester throughout the October half term as restaurants around the city opened their doors and offered amazing deals to thousands of hungry diners.

Definitely one of the highlights of the year were the huge Diwali celebrations on the Golden Mile. Leicester’s Diwali festivities are the largest outside South Asia and thousands of people descended on Melton Road to see fireworks, eat food and enjoy the celebrations!

November

We kicked off November by celebrating World Vegan Day at Watson’s Cocktail Bar, named for Leicester’s famous on Donald Watson, the man who coined the term Veganism way back in 1944! With speeches, great vegan food and loads of our friends in attendance, it was a fantastic way to celebrate this strand of our Taste the Place campaign! Find out why Leicester is the Home of Veganism right here.

It seemed to never stop raining this autumn, but despite this, Leicester’s Abbey Park Bonfire and Firework Display went off with a bang. Tens of thousands pulled on their wellies and came to enjoy the bonfire and fireworks, soundtracked by Sparky and Jo from Gem Radio and the awesome local band Gazelle.

It seemed like Radio 2 celebs had a residency in Leicester this year (not that we’re complaining!) After the massive gig in September, Scott Mills was confirmed as appearing in De Montfort Hall’s Panto, and none other than Vernon Kay began his epic Children in Need Ultra Marathon from our very own Victoria Park!

We can’t pass November without mentioning the reopening of Leicester Cathedral. After a year and a half of renovations to improve the interior, make it more accessible and efficient, the Cathedral opened its doors again, so that worshippers and visitors could once again enjoy this historic building and visit the tomb of King Richard III. Uncover the story of Leicester’s world famous Cathedral here.

December

Ok, these are technically in November, but it’s Christmas isn’t it! Scott Mills again returned to help us switch on Leicester’s Christmas Lights, and we’ve never seen town so packed as it was for the big switch on! Parade of light up drummers, disco by the Clock Tower, Santa and brass bands in Town Hall … It was all going off!

Belvoir Castle has a magical installation this Christmas as rooms were transformed into “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. This really has to be seen to be believed, and there’s still time for you to visit, with the display open until the 2 January. Use our code LEIC20 to get a 20% discount when you book!

The Leicestershire Tourism and Hospitality Awards were another December highlight, with attractions, restaurants and hotels around the region being honoured at a glitzy and glamorous event held at Leicester’s Athena. With acrobats, dancers and plenty of good cheers, it was a great way to celebrate a fantastic year of tourism excellence! Read our blog and find out who won.

And finally, Leicester’s Ice Rink returned with an awesome launch night. The Real Ice Rink has become a highlight of Christmas in Leicester and is busier than ever this year. It’s specially extended this year to the 7 January, and you can skate on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve! Just head to our Christmas in Leicester site to book your tickets!

Related

0 Comments

Comments

Comments are disabled for this post.