Christmas is fast approaching, and while we are all for getting in the festive mood early, there is a practical side to thinking about the big event as early as possible. Whether you're already secretly listening to your Christmas playlist, or just looking to make a budget, we'll be trying to help you have the best Christmas without breaking the bank.
As well as keeping you ahead of all the Christmas events, from markets, to pantos to the local Christmas light switch-on we'll be scouring the internet to bring you some great deals too. Whether it's a great gift for your partner or the perfect dress which take you from Christmas party to New Year's Eve we'll be sharing them all here.
The dates for the Christmas markets have already been announced and this year's Hippodrome pantomime, Peter Pan, is selling fast. There are also the usual big Santa's grottos and the much-loved Santa Train.
Join: You can join our Christmas WhatsApp community here
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Some supermarkets have already started offering toys and gifts, giving parents the chance to stock up at a reduced price, and many have also released their Christmas delivery slots so you can take the stress out of the big food shop and make it easier to stick to your budget as you fill up your online basket.
All of our updates will be posted in our blog below, or you can join us on WhatsApp and get all the updates straight to your phone so you never have to miss anything. Nobody will be able to see your number, and you will only receive messages from Bristol Live.
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If you have any questions about Christmas in Bristol pop them in the comments below and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
Key Events
Can't wait for Black Friday before topping up your skincare or make-up bags?
Reporter, and ex-Boots employee, has rounded up the best deals you can get in Boots even when it's not Black Friday!
There's £££ to be saved from reading this
When will Black Friday deals drop?
Amazon have been dropping hints about its upcoming Black Fridday sale which will see it slash prices across its product range!
As one of the year’s biggest shopping events, Black Friday sees all the big retailers taking part, with Apple, Currys, Sky and more all offering some amazing deals. This year, Black Friday falls on November 24, with many retailers offering deals across the whole weekend until Cyber Monday on November 27.
Amazon has already unveiled a host of early Black Friday deals for those who can’t wait to bag a bargain. Shoppers can currently bag a two for one deal on Amazon’s new Echo Pop smart speaker and the new Echo Show 5 smart display, both with Alexa built in.
All the best Christmas events happening in Bristol this festive season
From Santa's grottos to the Christmas markets there is plenty to do to get you feeling festive!
Could this be the most breath-taking Christmas display this year?
A home in Winterbourne will be transformed for Christmas, with 50,000 lights, a wishing well with colour-changing mist, a three-foot water fountain and they will even be dispensing cinnamon and gingerbread aromas!
The switch on is November 25 and 26, from 6pm, details here
All the National Trust Christmas events this year
Nartional Trust have shared all the festive events happening in and around Bristol including reindeer hunts and a 12-days of Christmas trail
National Trust property just 25 minutes from Bristol offering visitors a Victorian Christmas
Take a step back in time this festive season with a visit to Tyntesfield and its always popular Victorian Christmas event. Follow the family reindeer trail, try your hand at craft workshops, experience a festive horse and carriage ride and soak in the Christmas spirit with festive decorations across the beautiful National Trust estate.
We should have another National Trust family pass giveaway soon, so look out for those!
Find out what else Tyntesfield has to offer this Christmas here
When Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury's Christmas delivery slots open
And how to get first pick!
Many of the supermarkets have given advice on how to get the prime slots - more details here
All the best Amazon Prime Day deals from tablets, to headphones to the straighteners people are ditching GHDs for
There are a lot of great deals on today and tomorrow for Amazon Prime, we've pulled together all the best ones so you could really save some £££ if any of these are on your Christmas list
Cheapest PlayStation 5 Amazon Prime Day deals
Today (Oct 10) and tomorrow (Oct 11) are Amazon Prime Day and there are plenty of deals
If someone in your life has their heart set on a PlayStation 5 this Christmas, this could be the cheapest one around
The best Amazon Prime Day deals of 2023 according to Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis' team at MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has named some of the best deals you can get online ahead of Amazon Prime Day later this month. Amazon will releasing thousands of deals from 12.01am on Tuesday, October 10 until 11.59pm on Wednesday, October 11.
While the day of savings is exclusively for Prime members, you can sign up for a free Prime trial to get access to the cut price deals. The team at MoneySavingExpert says: "The retail giant is keeping most details well-guarded and isn't likely to reveal many of its deals in advance, but... Amazon has given us a few promises and teasers."
MSE reports Amazon will offer its "lowest prices of the year on selected products from Barbie, Samsung mobile, Sony, Western Digital, and Xiaomi." So, if you're after a product from any of those brands, it could be worth checking deals during sale.
Get Christmas updates straight to your phone
Don't miss out on all the biggest deals and bargains
Five DWP payments worth £785 are available before Christmas
Nearly £800 is available for cash-strapped pensioners as the Department for Work and Pensions reveals its full list of payments set to be given before Christmas. Some people could get up to £785 as the DWP will be handing out one-off payments across five schemes in the coming months, Birmingham Mail reports.
Cash available includes the pensioner cost of living payment amounting to £300, the winter fuel payment, worth between £100 and £300, and cold weather payments giving claimants £25.
A DWP bonus of £10 is also expected, as is the warm home discount, which will give £50 to households. Below are the details from the DWP on what to expect over the winter months.
Favourite Christmas treat could be hit by worldwide shortage
The availability of a Christmas favourite could be threatened this year due to a hazelnut supply crisis caused by a lack of rain and insect problems, experts have warned. This year's hazelnut crop is lower than usual in Turkey - a country where around 70 per cent of all hazelnuts are grown. Ferrero, which produces the iconic festive treat Ferrero Rocher, as well as Nutella, could be hit by issues with production, according to the Mirror.
According to marketing experts, the supply crisis could mean that this year there will be fewer boxes of Ferrero Rocher on the shelves, or that the chocolate treats will see an increase in price. Currently, the cost of hazelnuts has already soared by more than 40 per cent in the eight weeks up to September 27 - and is now $780/100kg (£637/100kg), Mintec data shows.
Portishead head needs help putting on their Christmas lights
Another town near Bristol has announced it will be hosting a Christmas light switch-on - but there will be a change this year due to rising costs. After Thornbury announced the return of its switch-on, Portishead has also confirmed that its 'golden mile' will be lit up again.
For the first time ever, Portishead Christmas Lights Committee is to run a raffle with the winner and up to four family members being chosen to flick the switch. It has been launched in a bid to raise funds to cover the cost of the festive illuminations, Somerset Live reports..
The cost of putting on the lights - heralded by some as the best Christmas illuminations in the South West - continues to soar. This year the committee faces spending an estimated £25,000 on the lights, and it is getting 'harder to raise the money each year'.
Need a new Christmas jumper?
If you need a new Christmas jumper you can always try adding something festive to your existing knitwear to save a little money.
If you do buy a Christmas jumper make sure it's one you like enough to wear every year - even the cheapest ones aren't worth the money if you only wear it once.
You could always forego the jumper this year and scour the charity shops in January so you have one in your wardrobe next year.
If you do feel you need something new, these Christmas scrunchies could add a festive touch for not too much money, or you can get a whole Christmas Santa-themed dress for £17
See the full range of Christmas clothing we found on the high street
Grieving reindeer is looking for a friend so he's not lonely this Christmas!
The owner of a grieving reindeer has launched a bid to ship a new female mate 300 miles to his paddock - so he isn't 'Lonely this Christmas'.
Heartbroken Sven sadly lost his stable-mate Claus three weeks ago to a short illness, leaving the herd animal on his own at Little Haven Farm in Hull, East Yorks.
The death sparked fears from the animal sanctuary's owner, Suzie Wright, 40, that he might "die from loneliness" if he wasn’t paired up with another caribou quickly.
She went online and found that a female reindeer was available in Dorset, but now needs to raise £4,000 so the doe can be brought to her "lovely boy”, Sven.
Town confirms Christmas lights will return this year for the first time since 2019
A town near Bristol is has announced the return of its Christmas lights switch-on event after a three-year hiatus. Residents in Thornbury will line the high street to see the spectacle's comeback, although there will be a big change compared to previous years.
Organisers at Thornbury Christmas Lights Association have confirmed the date of Tuesday, November 21. A spokesperson said: "This will be a welcome return of our event which has been placed on hold since 2019.
This is the best value beauty advent calendar on the market this year
Beauty advent calendars: Yay or Nay? They cost a lot, but you can get hundreds of pounds worth of products inside. We’ve crunched the numbers and if you are thinking about investing in one, this is the one which provides the best value for your money
Our group's beauty editor says the £99 advent calendat provides £450 worth of products - see more here
The Range has released their Christmas stock, and this year the must have item is the new Gonk!
Not really an essential item, but he is cute!
Money off at Hobbycraft
If you're thinking of making your own gifts this year, or just getting crafty with the kids, we have a money off voucher for Hobbycraft.
But you only have until this Sunday to use it
Is it too soon for Christmas music? Who cares!
For those who could listen to Christmas music all year round, we're excited to tell you the dedicated Christmas radio sstation, Heart Christmas, is back for another year.
Christmas meat hampers which can feed a family for less than £7 a head
An online food retailer has launched its annual Christmas hamper range with enough to feed the whole family for less than £7 a head.
The Luxury Christmas Whole Bronze Turkey Hamper includes pork sausages and low fat bacon medallions, pigs in blankets, stuffing, unsmoked streaky bacon and pork chipolatas with enough for breakfast and the main meal. The retailer will also be including its Figgy Pudding Stuffing, a combination of traditional fruit cake and pork sausage meat.
The hamper will retail at £65, it’s worth £105.42 and will feed eight for £8.13 a head for at least two meals - with leftovers. Other hampers in the range include the Luxury Christmas Turkey Butterfly Hamper and Luxury Christmas Beef Topside Hamper, both selling at £55 (£6.86 a head) and feeding up to eight people.
Hoping to get away somewhere festive?
If you are hoping to get away somewhere festive this year, we've gathered together all the places you can fly to from Bristol with great Christmas markets
Are you stressing out about the impending food shop?
M&S has already released it's Christmas food collection slots, but lots more supermarkets are still to announce.
We'll keep you posted!
Looking for some festive family fun? The UK's largest indoor ice rink will return to Weston this Christmas
The UK’s largest outdoor ice rink is set to return to the West Country this winter after a four-year absence. Icescape will open at the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare from November 7 until January 7.
The outdoor rink last opened in the seaside town in 2019 when around 120,000 enjoyed a spell on the ice. The covid pandemic prevented a return in 2020 and 2021 and in 2022 the arrival of SEE MONSTER at the seafront venue and spiralling energy costs put a halt on plans.
When will Bristol Christmas Markets be open?
Bristol Christmas Market has announced that it will be opening this year on Friday, November 3 and will run until Saturday, December 23. Timings are from 10am until 7pm, with the food and bar area open every day from 10am until 10pm.
This year the markets will be even bigger, expanding to Quakers Friars and Philadelphia Street.
Details of the attractions this year have not been confirmed but we will have more info here as soon as possible.
