Festive market for Trim's main street

The centre of Trim will come alive with festive cheer on Sunday 6th December when Trim Chamber of Commerce hosts a Christmas market and family fun day. The weekend's festivities will begin on Saturday 5th December when Santa arrives in the town. He will start his tour of Trim from Highfield House and the Christmas lights will be turned on on each street as Santa makes his way down the street. Market Street will be closed to traffic on Sunday 6th December for the Christmas market. To date, 35 stalls have signed up, including local businesses and ones from as far away as Cork and Galway. Trim Chamber president Yvette Bloomfield said there will be a mix of stalls including various crafts and food stalls and that more stands were expected to take part. The market will take place from 11am to 5pm and Ms Bloomfield promised it would be a fantastic family day out. The street will be lit up and there will be a stand at the top of Market Street where choirs will sing carols and there will be music and entertainment throughout the day. There will also be face-painting and balloon-modelling for the children who will also have the chance to visit Santa. Meanwhile, in another initiative to boost trade in the town, Trim Chamber of Commerce has launched its loyalty card scheme. The 'Treasure Trim' card is currently being handed out by businesses to their customers and will be officially launched next week. As part of the pilot scheme, the card will be free and a limited number of cards are available on a first come, first served basis. Each business involved will have its own discount or special offer for customers who present the card. Ms Bloomfield said the idea of the card, particularly over the Christmas period, is to keep money in Trim and that consumers would also benefit. The printing of the loyalty card was sponsored by local publican Tom Lenihan. The first batch of cards will be valid for a three-month period up to 31st January.