The festive lights is a late autumn celebration (held in November) that brings together the community in Moortown for music, food and drinks to mark the switch on of the decorative lights along Harrogate Road at Moortown Corner. Below you will find pictures and a summary of each event to date.

2017

The event was a great success. Held outside Transform again, nearly 200 members of the Moortown Community attended, enjoying music from Roundhay Ukulele Group and refreshments. Biscuits were kindly donated by Cooplands bakery and mince pies and mulled wine were funded by the Councillors as well as the lights switch on. Thank you to all the volunteers who enabled the event to happen and for everyone who attended creating such a great atmosphere. Thank you to Transform for allowing us to use the space outside their building.

2016

The event was moved to outside the former HSBC bank building where a better view of the light switch on was available. This was the first year we used our new large gazebo and larger battery powered lights and this enabled us to have Roundhay Ukulele Group to provide the music. Cooplands bakery kindly donated biscuits and M&S provided mulled wine and mince pies with additional mince pies funded by the community group. The Councillors kindly funded the lights switch on and supported the event. The event was well attended with the whole brownie group from the Immaculate Heart visiting and many families from Moortown Primary School too. The music from the Ukulele group was loud enough to fill the space and greatly enjoyed by those attending.

2015

The event was held outside Transform. It was rather windy, which prevented us putting up the large gazebo we had hoped to use. Alan's band provided the music, but due to the wind and sharing the small gazebo with the refreshments it was rather hard to hear the music. Refreshments included biscuits donated by Cooplands bakery and mulled wine and mince pies by M&S. The Councillors kindly funded the lights switch on. Despite the weather, the event was well attended.

Alan's  band generously donated their fee to Moortown Primary School and this was matched by the Councillors to enable the school to invest in some musical instruments.

2014

We had a fantastic turn out in 2014, with well over 100 adults and children coming along to enjoy the night. We gave away over 100 biscuits and 100 mince pies and many many litres of orange juice and mulled wine! People were very generous and we had a record breaking collection - which really helps the MCG to continue supporting the positive development of Moortown. Music was provided by "The Songbirds".

We would like to thank our sponsors: Cooplands bakery donated biscuits and M&S mulled wine and mince pies. The event was supported by Leeds Inner North East Councillors.

2013

We decided to give ourselves a little more room and move to the pavement outside Craggs new shop and we invested, with the help of a grant from LCC, in battery-operated lights so that we did not need a generator. Our sponsors were as generous as previously and we had booked a musician to play guitar and sing.

However, on the night, contrary to weather forecasts earlier in the day, we were hit by 30mph winds and driving sleet, which persisted till long after the lights were turned on. The gazebo had to be taken down, the music was cancelled and those that turned up (about 20 amazingly) sheltered under the awning outside the Kosherie. And it was still fun!

We would like to thank our sponsors: Cooplands bakery donated biscuits and M&S mulled wine and mince pies. The event was supported by Leeds Inner North East Councillors.

2012

We repeated the exercise, this time with Finger Chimes and a four-piece band. Again there was a wonderful turnout and everyone enjoyed it immensely, but again the generator drowned the music.

We would like to thank our sponsors: Cooplands bakery donated biscuits and M&S mulled wine and mince pies. The event was supported by Leeds Inner North East Councillors.

2011

Since 2011 we have held a celebration at the time that the Festive Lights have been turned on in Moortown.

We put up a gazebo outside Transform and served mulled wine, mince pies and fruit juice and biscuits for the children. About 150 people turned out and were entertained by a local group of Brownies singing. Everything was great except that the noise of the generator rather drowned the singing.

We would like to thank our sponsors: Cooplands bakery donated biscuits and M&S mulled wine and mince pies. The event was supported by Leeds Inner North East Councillors.