Theresa Villiers joined residents from many parts of Barnet to celebrate the start of the Christmas season with the annual High Barnet Christmas Fair on Sunday 3rd December.
Taking place in Barnet High Street, this annual event aims to support local traders by bringing people to the town centre for their Christmas shopping. There is always a collection for charity and, this year, support was given to the Mayor’s appeal for Homeless Action in Barnet.
The fair began with a procession from St Albans Road to the centre of Barnet High Street. The Mayor of Barnet, Brian Salinger, High Barnet ward councillor, David Longstaff, and Theresa all made speeches as part of the formal opening of the event.
The fair continued throughout the afternoon with performances by students from the Bull Theatre, a visit from Father Christmas, and hundreds of stalls setting up shop for the day. Local businesses up and down the High Street also opened their doors to take part in the festivities.
Theresa spent several hours at the fair and visited many stands set up by local groups including Barnet Rotary, Friends of Barnet Market, Teenage Markets Come to Barnet, the Barnet Society, and the Barnet Guild of Artists. She also spent time on the Chipping Barnet Town Team stall where she met a number of local residents to discuss options for improvements to the high street
Theresa Villiers said: “The Barnet Christmas Fair is a great showcase for the wealth of talent we have here in Barnet, from the students at the theatre school, to the local community groups who set up stands, to the businesses who opened up for Christmas shoppers. It was fantastic to see the community come together with such enthusiasm. I very much enjoyed this opportunity to chat with constituents and get into the Christmas spirit!”