This year's Ormskirk Gingerbread Festival was the biggest and best ever!

Thousands of visitors packed the town centre with the event opened in brilliant sunshine by Mayor Noel Delaney - and vigorous support from Town Crier Don Evans.

Moor Street was lined with colourful gazebos and stalls selling a wide variety of goods, with Ormskirk’s very own 'Gingerbread Lady' running a special Gingerbread themed competition stall.

Entertainment was continuous throughout the day with all tastes catered for from rock to vintage, from songs from the shows to sing-a-long. And the children were not forgotten with Mr. Stix’s show of magic tricks and balloon modelling, while Edge Hill’s Strolling Players kept their young audience enthralled with a gripping Ormskirk based tale!

Face-painting was free of charge as were the fantastic raffles for children and adults, prizes for which were donated by Ormskirk shops, businesses and restaurants, bars and cafes.

A selection of classic cars on show in Aughton Street attracted lots of visitors keen to talk to the owners and to take photographs. The heritage stalls, based in Church Street, were kept busy all day helping people with queries of Ormskirk’s past and advising on how to trace their family history.

Stalls, shops eateries and bars experienced a roaring trade and those selling Gingerbread soon sold out.

Working together in partnership, Ormskirk Community Partnership and the Town Centre Management Group were determined to make this year’s Gingerbread Festival a bigger and better event - and with a massive rise in footfall in the town centre and increased business around the town, their aim has been realised in the promotion of Ormskirk and attract people to visit and shop in the town.

The organisers would like to thank all those who supported it - without their help the event could not have taken place; and here’s to another successful Festival in 2019!

Some FB comments:

• Congratulations to you and the Gingerbread Team for putting on such a marvellous event.
• Fabulous family day, we loved it (from me at 71 to my grandson age 10) thank you to all concerned for their hard work.
• A big well done to Ormskirk Community Partnership and their band of volunteers. They have really set a new standard with this event. There are hundreds of happy smiling faces in town today.