There is so much to do in Cambridge. We have cherry-picked a selection of wonderful events in the city – town and gown. The Fellows House’s programme of events is here. Why not come and enjoy some Christmas Cheer on Saturday 10 December? Live music, mulled wine and festive fare in The Folio Bar will get you in the Christmas spirit.
Town & Gown
Until 19 February 2023, Paint Like the Swallow Sings Calypso, 11.00am-5.00pm, Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street.
This is a major new exhibition curated in dialogue with artists Paul Dash (b. 1946, Barbados), Errol Lloyd (b. 1943, Jamaica) and John Lyons (b. 1933, Trinidad), three important first-generation diaspora Caribbean painters in the UK. Alongside a selection of their own works, the artists bring together the collections of Kettle’s Yard and The Fitzwilliam Museum, assembling paintings and works on paper that reflect the rich history, themes and forms of Carnival, from street parades with music and dancing, to folklore, flora and fauna. Twenty-eight artists whose work span across five centuries will reflect elements from Carnival’s rituals and celebrations, including Jean-Michel Moreau, Albrecht Dürer, Helen Frankenthaler, Avinash Chandra, David Bomberg, Graham Sutherland and Barbara Hepworth. Free entry, find out more here.
7 December, 1pm – 2pm, Downing Place United Reformed Church, Downing Street.
Tim Palmer (tenor) and Hugh Taylor (piano) will take you on a tour of Europe in song looking forward to summer holidays in 2023 with lovely weather, beautiful scenery and peace. Free Entry. More concerts in churches and Cambridge colleges are here.
Spotlight on Cambridge Community Arts
10 December, 10.30am-4pm – Festive Arts & Crafts Fair Exhibition Hall, The Guildhall.
Join local charity Cambridge Community Arts for their first Festive Arts & Crafts Fair. Their talented community will be selling unique and beautiful gifts. A wonderful opportunity for some Christmas shopping.
12 December, Art Benches Launch with Cambridge Community Arts, Christ’s Lane, dawn to dusk.
Cambridge City Council has invited a group of visual artists and photographers from the charity to be the first to exhibit their work on the new Art Benches in the lane.
11 December, 4-5pm, Christmas Carols at the Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road.
Christmas lessons and carols followed by refreshments. All welcome. Free, donations welcome.
18 December, 6.30pm, Christmas Carol Service, Great St Mary’s Church
This popular candlelit choral service begins at 6.30pm at Great St Mary’s, Cambridge University’s church, on Sunday 18 December and is approximately 80 minutes long. Book your free ticket here.
24 December, Christmas Carols at King’s College.
This Carol Service is renown all over the world. It is televised every year by the BBC and broadcast on the radio. If you would like to attend in person, please visit King’s College’s website for information.
Families
Until Saturday, 31 December, Ice from above, The Polar Museum.
Perfectly themed for the season, this new exhibition at the Polar Museum explores our icy world from the sky and space. Free entry.
Until Friday, 23 December, Little Robin’s Christmas Trail, Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
Follow this new, festive family trail to discover fascinating facts about the festive plants in the Garden. The trail is free but an entrance fee to the Garden applies.
Find more family-friendly events here.