The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner and we are preparing for the annual Christmas Light Switch on to kick start the festive period.

The event will be returning to Hemel Hempstead town centre on the 18th November with lots on offer including :

• Children’s interactive shows

• Funfair rides

•  Face painting

• Live music

• Walkabout acts

• Meet Santa in his grotto

• Ride the land train

• Take photos in the snow globe

Finish the day with a grand finale firework display and Christmas light switch on

Our Ghost Adventurers have been out in their mystery van looking for ghosts, but horror strikes when the van gets stuck in the mud and two of the team disappear. Can you help the mystery team investigate the creepy looking house, solve the clues and find the missing friends?

Join the Magical Story Elves team on this fun, interactive Halloween themed children’s show full of music and games.

SHOWS AT 11AM, 12 NOON, 1PM AND 2PM

You can find us in Centre Court, Marlowes Shopping Centre.

Come and enjoy some spookily FREE fun family events this Halloween.

Wander through our secret pumpkin patch and pick your very own perfect pumpkin (or will it choose you?!) Once you’ve selected your favourite, give it character by decorating it with a fun face. (Pumpkin numbers are limited)

Find us in the Marlowes Shopping Centre - in the old Mothercare unit near the Lions Book Shop

The Big Recycling Hunt is coming to the Marlowes Shopping Centre for Recycle Week. Join us on the day for

•      Recycled sculptures display

•      Free Art and Paper Making activities

•      Information stalls and local produce

•      Theatre shows and workshop

Come on down and see the amazing sculptures that the local school and youth groups have created and vote for your favourite on the Loyal Free app. Have a go at decoupage a large papier mâché giraffe with Anna's Funky Art; learn how to make bird feeders out of rubbish with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust Make your own paper with Frogmore Paper Mill and lots more.

11.00 am         Imajica Theatre – Heidi’s New Shell

12 noon           Sculpture Judging

1.00pm            Imajica Workshop

2.00pm            Imajica Theatre – Heidi’s New Shell

Heidi's New Shell Theatre Show
Our water-based friends love spending their days having amazing adventures in the Coral Cove. Passionate about their environment they have decided that it is time to clean up the seas & encourage their human friends to reduce, reuse & recycle more to make the world a better place for us all! 

Under the Sea workshop 
Join Imajica Theatre for an under the sea, interactive workshop filled with singing, dancing and fun.

The Theatre show and workshop will take place in Centre Court, and the information stalls and activities will be in the old Electric Umbrella unit opposite Nipa in the North Mall.

The sculptures will be on display in the shopping centre from 14 October, throughout Recycle Week.

Superhero training academy - is looking for recruits!

Could you be the next Superhero?

Come along and join the superhero skills academy and graduate the academy by:

Learning to Fly in the Aerial sling

Train in superhero martial arts

Dodge the laser beam

‘This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.’

Join Lucy the Summer Wizard as she embarks on an adventure through the enchanted woods. No other Wizard has ever explored the woods before, but Lucy knows there must be more to magic then just Wizarding and the Enchanted Woods are rumoured to be full of all kinds of magical creatures. Lucy soon bumps into a beautiful fairy who needs her help. Dr Nasty an evil scientist has been collecting the magical creatures of the woods so he can take their powers for himself and take over the world. Oh no! Lucy jumps into action with her Wizard friends (YOU) and sets off on a rescue mission. The fairy guides Lucy through the woods meeting all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures along the way. They track down Dr Nasty and devise a plan to defeat him. The plan works perfectly, and all the magical creatures are set free. To thank Lucy for her help the magical creatures give her a magical gift. The gift of wings! Can you help Lucy save the magical folk? Then join the Magical Story Elves team on this magical, interactive, Wizard adventure full of music, games, bubbles, Magic and much, much more.

Come along and enjoy a fun and exciting caving experience. The mobile cave is made up of over 90 foot of tunnels, tight twists, and turns - the most realistic artificial caving experience you will find above ground. Wearing a helmet and head torch, explorers make their way through a tunnel system that spans across two levels. Expect plenty of sump ball pits, stalactites and stalagmites and squeezes too.

Suitable for adults and children.

• Recommended Age: 5+ years

• Recommended height of users: 1.1m

‘This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.’

Release your inner Robin Hood and travel back in time. Join the experienced GB qualified instructors. Following a quick safety lesson and how to hold your bow and arrow you can move onto the fun part and unleash your mediaeval skills.

Suitable for adults and children.

• Recommended Age: 6+ yrs

‘This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.’

Ahoy there me hearties! Join Joanne, “the friendliest pirate on the seven seas” as she sets sail on a fun and exciting swashbuckling adventure across oceans to find the lost Island of Mambo. This Island has been lost for hundreds or years and is rumoured to be full of treasure. This, fun loving pirate has been given a treasure map by her Mermaid friend Aqua, it includes the location of the island and an X that marks the spot where the treasure lies. Arrrrr! How exciting. The problem is the clues are written in Rhyme, an old pirate tradition to stop other pirates from steeling their treasure. Joanne has invited and all her favourite Pirate and Mermaid friends (YOU) to help solve the clues, cross the sea, find the Island and search for the hidden treasure. Who knows what or who they might find on the way? So climb aboard our ship the “Slippery Toad” as the Magical Story Elves entertainment team take your little ones on this this interactive pirate and mermaid themed adventure. This 30/40 min long children’s show is jam packed with music, fun, games, treasure and much, much more.  

The ever-popular Berkshire Birds of Prey are visiting us again. Come and see a selection of owls, falcons and hawks. The birds will be either outside on Rainbow Stage or inside the Marlowes Shopping Centre keeping their feathers dry if the weather is wet ! – keep an eye out on social media nearer the time. You can look and take photos for free or pay a small donation if you wish to hold a bird. (£2 for most or £5 for the falconry or European eagle owl.)

Bring your summer vibes and experience the sensation of riding a real wave without getting wet! The simulator has varying degrees of difficulty, making it suitable for suffers of all skill levels. Build your balance and co-ordination to avoid being wiped out by the motion of the ocean.

Suitable for adults and children.

• Recommended Age/Height of Users: 1.2m tall

• Surfers must be aged 10 years or over OR 1.2m tall

‘This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.’

Ever wanted to lean a new skill? Come along and try out the tight rope and the trapeze on the aerial rig! As well as handheld circus skills - poi, juggling scarves, hula hoops, diablo, spinning plates.

‘This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.’

Join adventurer Babsy as she discovers an old, abandoned theme park in the middle of the jungle. She has been out flying her adventure plane with her adventuress friends (YOU) when she saw a giant SOS sign left on the beach. Babsy lands the water plane and starts to look for the person who left the SOS. This is an abandoned theme park. “How strange” thinks Babsy. “It looks like the people left in a hurry. I wonder why”. She soon realises that this is no ordinary theme park. This park is full of……. Dinosaurs! Babsy finally finds Amy who has been stranded on the Island for 6 months after her ship sank and has been living amongst the dinosaurs. Amy shows Babsy around the park and introduces them to her Dinosaur friends. What an adventure she has had. Amy finally says goodbye to her much-loved Jurassic friends and flies home safely with Babsy. Join the Magical Story Elves team in this interactive, fun filled dinosaur adventure with music, dancing, games and much, much more.

Fancy getting that adrenaline going? why not have a go on the giant 18ft high mobile climbing wall. Once kitted up challenge yourself to reach the top, with helpful hints from the instructors.

Suitable for adults and children.

• Recommended Age/Height of Users: 6+ years

• Minimum height 1.1m

‘This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.’

The ever-popular Berkshire Birds of Prey are visiting us again. Come and see a selection of owls, falcons and hawks. The birds will be either outside on Rainbow Stage or inside the Marlowes Shopping Centre keeping their feathers dry if the weather is wet ! – keep an eye out on social media nearer the time. You can look and take photos for free or pay a small donation if you wish to hold a bird. (£2 for most or £5 for the falconry or European eagle owl.)

Our Emergency Services Day is back due to popular demand. Join us to celebrate our fantastic services that keep us safe every day.

Take a look around the vehicles, and chat to the service men/women from the Police, Fire and Ambulance services and take part in some emergency services themed colouring in.

Our normal monthly Beat Surgery stall will be there too, where you can meet your local officer, get essential crime prevention information and discuss any issues you may want to share with the Police about crime or anti-social behaviours.

Have you heard there is a Kings Coronation happening ?!

Get Sunday 7th May in your diaries, as you are invited to Hemel BIDs Street party.

There will be singing, dancing, crazy golf, kids entertainment, balloon modellers, face painting, walk about acts and more – all FREE in Hemel Town Centre. Look out for the vintage double decker bus!

Want to feel like a King or a Queen for the day? Come and take a seat in one of our thrones, take a selfie and tag us on social media. One lucky person will win a £25 gift voucher for a town centre shop.

Hemel Rocks - There will be 50 special Coronation painted rocks hidden around the town centre on the morning of 7th May – will you be lucky enough to find one? Don’t forgot to tag Hemel BID if you find one – happy hunting!

Vegan Market Co is coming back to Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 19th February!

The Hemel Hempstead Vegan Market will take over The Marlowes, just outside Primark, this February. The event will feature a huge variety of vegan street food, artisan bakes, craft cheeses, handmade cosmetics, ethical clothing & jewellery, arts & crafts and charity stalls. All created by a handpicked selection of talented, ethical and sustainable businesses.

The Hemel Hempstead Vegan Market will be held at The Marlowes, just outside Primark and will run from 10:30 to 16:00 on Sunday 19th February.

The Hemel Hempstead Vegan Market will take over The Marlowes, just outside Primark, this November. The event will feature a huge variety of vegan street food, artisan bakes, craft cheeses, handmade cosmetics, ethical clothing & jewellery, arts & crafts and charity stalls. All created by a handpicked selection of talented, ethical and sustainable businesses

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner and Hemel Hempstead BID are preparing for the annual Christmas Light Switch on to kick start the festive period.

The event will be returning to Hemel Hempstead town centre on the 19th November with live family-friendly music from 11am, provided by a range of local performers on the Rainbow Stage.

The event will offer a mixture of market stalls, children’s entertainment, rides and Santas grotto, before the light switch on and fireworks at 5:30pm.

Join us in Hemel town centre at the Rainbow Stage for free interactive children’s show on the hour starting from 11am.

Joanne the Ghost Buster has been really bored after catching all the Ghosts & Ghouls in the world. They have been safely locked away in Chris the Mad Scientists Lab. When suddenly, the phone rings. Its Chris in a panic. One of his mad experiments has shorted out the electric and the machine holding the ghosts re booted and let all the trapped ghosts, monsters, and ghouls out. Oh no. Joanne jumps into action and sets off on an adventure to re catch the escaped creatures.

Can you help Joanne bust the Ghosts? This is a fully interactive children’s show full of music, games, bubbles and much more.

Join us in Hemel town centre at the Rainbow Stage for free interactive children’s show, on the hour from 11am

Lucy’s Mother has passed her a mysterious key that has been passed down in the family from generation to generation and now its Lucy’s turn to own it. She has been told to put the key in the lock of her bedroom wardrobe at midnight on Halloween night. Its Halloween night and its time for Lucy to use the key. The key opens a variety of different seasonal dimensions in the form of doors, and she tries them all including Christmas, Easter and lastly Halloween. Lucy walks into this amazing new world but the door shuts behind her. She’s trapping. Oh no. Lucy embarks on an adventure to find her way home and meets also sorts of weird and wonderful creatures on the way. It turns out the creatures of Halloween are actually quite friendly, and she makes some new friends too.

Can you help Lucy find her way through the maze that is Halloween and find a way home? This is a fully interactive children’s show full of Halloween themed fun, games, bubbling potions and much more.