Whitby Christmas Festival cancelled due to extreme weather warnings
There's a severe weather warning being issued for tomorrow and Saturday
This weekend’s Christmas Festival has been cancelled due to warnings of extreme weather.
Scarborough Borough Council, working with the emergency services, has advised Whitby Town Council that a severe weather warning has been issued for Friday and Saturday, which make the continuation of the Festival Market and entertainment impossible. High winds and high seas are expected. Whitby Town Council says it has taken the decision, with much regret, that it would be unsafe and unwise for this year’s Festival to go on.
Whitby Town Council said:
"We apologise deeply for the disappointment that this will cause, but the safety of everyone involved is our priority, based on the advice we have received.
"We are contacting the traders, stall holders and entertainers who had been booked to support the Christmas Festival and we have made a formal announcement of the cancellation through the Festival facebook page, but we need the message to spread to everyone who had planned to attend to let them know that the weekend will not be going ahead this year.
Town mayor, Cllr Linda Wild, expressed the council’s disappointment saying:
“We are devastated, this is the worst news we could have imagined. I am devastated for all the volunteers, led by Phil Trumper, our traders and entertainers and the council’s own staff, who have worked so hard to bring this year’s event together.
"The extreme weather warning and the advice we have received from the borough council have left us with no alternative. On behalf of the town council, I apologise for this disappointment. We are so, so sorry.”
Whitby Town Council says once they have assessed the impact on everyone involved, they will announce their plans for 2022.