7 Portsmouth things to do this weekend including Christmas light switch-ons and ice skating in Guildhall Square

Here are six activities to keep the whole family entertained this weekend.

Portchester Christmas Market

The Christmas market is set to take place on November 25 between 11am and 4pm at Portchester Precinct.

The event will have a lot of stalls which will offer things including sweets, toys, children’s clothes, gifts perfect for Christmas, candles and wax melts and much more.

Find out more information here.

Leigh Park Christmas Grotto

People in Havant will have the chance to visit Father Christmas from this weekend as the annual Christmas Grotto returns to Greywell Shopping Centre. MP Alan Mak will open the Leigh Park Christmas Grotto at midday.

Stubbington Ark Christmas Fair

The RSPCA Solent Branch at the Stubbington Ark are holding their annual Christmas Fair at the Crofton Manor Equestrian Centre on November 25 from 11am to 4pm.This year's theme is to ‘support local’ and the majority of the stalls will be held by small businesses who will be selling a variety of products from homemade craft items and woodendecorations to illustrations and textile goods. Find out more here.

Gosport Christmas Market

Gosport High Street’s Christmas bash takes place on Saturday, November 25 between 10am and 8pm in Gosport High Street. The event is being organised in partnership with Gosport Borough Council and it is the first bespoke Christmas market for Gosport to offer. There will be a number of stalls to explore, delicious food to taste and thirst quenching drinks to try. It will be free to attend. For more information, click here.

Gosport Christmas Light switch-on

Gosport's illumination event will be take place on Saturday, November 25 and include a variety of festive entertainment organised by the Hampshire Cultural Trust. Find all the details here.

Ice skating

The ice rink, in Guildhall Square, will open for the festive season at 10.00am tomorrow morning (Saturday, November 25) and local people can visit every day until Sunday, January 7 2024 – excluding Christmas Day itself. Find out more here.

Join a parkrun

Parkruns are free weekly races held across the country – including in Portsmouth. You can find your race on the Parkrun website, and for more details about the best Parkruns in and around Portsmouth, see here: Parkruns: Courses in Portsmouth, Fareham, Havant, Lee-on-the-Solent and Whiteley and what they are like to run.