Christmas Cracker returns to Crowborough High Street on Friday 27 November, 4pm to 6.30pm, lights on at 6pm. Free, with stalls and a Santa grotto.

Crowborough’s Christmas lights go on at 6pm on Friday 27 November 2026, during the Christmas Cracker on the High Street. The event itself runs from 4pm to 6.30pm and is free.

Updated 6 October: date and times rechecked with the council, unchanged; the Christmas markets section now points to our new Christmas markets page.

Crowborough Town Council confirms both the date and the timing on its council events page, and states the rule that fixes the date every year: the Christmas Cracker “always takes place on the last Friday in November”.

What is on

From the council’s own description of the 2026 event:

  • Festive stalls plus food and drink vendors lining the High Street
  • Street performers through the evening
  • Live music on the Piazza
  • A land train taking children and families to Santa’s grotto at the Social Club on Croft Road
  • The festive light switch-on at 6pm

It is free to attend and the council describes it as a family event.

If you want a stall

Stall bookings are open. The council says there are a limited number and they go on a first come, first served basis. Booking forms go back to the council offices at Pine Grove, Crowborough TN6 1DH, or by email to the council.

Road closures: not published

The Christmas Cracker takes over the High Street for two and a half hours, but no closure notice for 27 November had been published as of 5 September. Neither East Sussex Highways nor the council has posted one. We will add it here when it appears. In the meantime our parking in Crowborough page has the town centre car parks, and roadworks and travel tracks what is closed for other reasons.

The rest of the festive fortnight

Civic Christmas Carol Service, Wednesday 2 December, 7.30pm, at All Saints Church on Chapel Green. The council says everyone is welcome. This is the last event in its 2026 programme.

Buxted switches its lights on the night after Crowborough. Buxted Bonfire Society runs a Christmas Light Switch-On on Saturday 28 November, 4pm to 7pm, at Buxted Recreation Ground, TN22 5FD, according to the society’s own events list. So if you miss one you can catch the other.

Is there a separate Crowborough Christmas market?

Not from the council: the Christmas Cracker is its festive market, with the stalls and food vendors part of that evening. Crowborough Community Centre on Pine Grove has run its own Saturday Christmas Market in late November in past years, but its 2026 date is not confirmed yet. Every market and fair nearby, including The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells from 13 November, is on our Christmas markets page.

Sources