Every year, people head off to the big cities for that Christmas feeling. The crowds, the queues, the train home with aching feet. But some of the most magical Christmas moments in Dorset happen much closer to home.
Picture it. Fairy lights twinkling over red brick, skates gliding across the ice, the smell of hot chocolate drifting through the air and every present on your list just a few steps away. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Brewery Square.
Here’s everything happening this Christmas
Christmas at Brewery Square kicks off on Saturday 28 November from 5pm with our big annual Christmas Lights Switch On. Join the crowd as the whole Square lights up, with live music from Wessex Theatre, a Michael Bublé tribute and the Brewery Square House Band’s Christmas Special. Add walking acts, festive stalls, hot chocolate and pop-up bars, and you’ve got a night to remember. Best of all, it’s free.
Find the line-up, timings and top tips on our Christmas Lights Switch On page.
Skating in the Square
Nothing says Christmas like a spin on the rink. Skating in the Square is back, right in Dorchester, so lace up your skates and glide under the twinkling lights. It’s perfect for families, friends, first dates and anyone who fancies holding onto the side the whole way round (we won’t tell). Skate before the Lights Switch On, after the countdown or any day over the festive season.
Sessions get busy at weekends and in the school holidays, so book ahead.
Christmas shopping, sorted
Skip the delivery vans and the midnight scrolling. Brewery Square has gifts for everyone on your list, all in one place.
Find party outfits at Phase Eight and Hobbs, unique finds at Loco Loves, records at Vinyl Van, nostalgic treasures at Memory Lane and original artwork at Halo Fine Art. Pick up a festive wreath at Stems Florist, a beautiful gift at Mirari Lingerie, and treats for the dog at MUTT Everything Dog.
Need inspiration? Read our full Christmas gift guide, sorted by who’s on your list.
Shop local, shop their story. Many of our independent shops are run by local women, from Stems Florist and Loco Loves to Vinyl Van, C-Side and Halo Fine Art. Every gift you buy here supports a local business owner chasing her dream.
Food with friends
All that skating and shopping builds an appetite. Gather your favourite people and make a proper day (or night) of it.
- Festive catch-ups: brunch at Vivo Lounge, coffee and cake at C-Side, or a hot chocolate at Costa.
- Family favourites: Nando’s, Pizza Express, Zizzi and Wagamama, all a few steps apart.
- Something special: French classics at Côte Brasserie, Turkish dishes at Meram Kitchen and Portuguese small plates at Santos + Co.
- Something sweet: sundaes and waffles at Creams Café, the perfect reward after a wobbly lap of the rink.
- Into the night: cocktails and music at XO Dorchester, and a pint brewed right here at Copper Street Brewery.
See every option in our where to eat guide.
Christmas parties and get-togethers
Organising the work do or the friends’ Christmas meal? Book a long table at one of our restaurants, ask about festive menus, then head to the ice or XO for the after party. Book early, as December dates go fast.
Christmas for little ones
Make memories they will talk about all year. Watch a festive film at the Odeon, burn off some energy at Nikki’s Little Play Café, wobble round the ice together and finish with a sundae at Creams.
Stay over and make a weekend of it
Coming from further afield? Premier Inn is right in the Square, so you can skate, shop, eat and be tucked up in bed within minutes. Or book one of the cosy cottages from Dorset Hideaways for a winter break.
Getting here
Dorchester South station is right in the Square, with direct trains from Weymouth, Southampton and London Waterloo. Fairfield car park is just across Weymouth Avenue. See our getting here guide for bus routes and parking.
