The end-of-year celebrations are always a highlight for the City of Dinan. Historically, the illuminations attract many local residents, and sometimes even from far away. Since last year, the Christmas market no longer exists in its classic format, like in Saint-Malo or Rennes, but has transformed into the Village of Enchanted Bubbles.
Objective: attract people to the city center
A bias fully accepted by the town hall: “In the city center, we have 600 businesses,” emphasizes Dominique Orhant, municipal councilor responsible for commerce and crafts. And there’s plenty to shop for for the holidays, from gifts to meals. Our role is therefore to attract residents from the entire living area, not necessarily to add businesses.”
The city also devotes a significant part of its budget to events taking place every weekend in December, most of which, free, attracted much more than expected: “the fire parade, on the esplanade in front of the library, we expected between 500 and 700 people, there were between 1,000 and 2,000”
A format celebrating its two years
A format that works well, since Dinan residents came in large numbers at the time of the launch of the illuminations and festivities. “This year, we kept the same Village, but enlarged the area so that people can walk around more easily, after feedback given to us last year, and installed three food trucks instead of two. We also extended the area of the installations, by adding a reindeer and a sleigh in front of the Théâtre des Jacobins and a tree at the station,” explains the elected official. Enough to multiply the spots for family Christmas photos, a great classic. Not to mention the real novelty, the little train “which was a real success”: it was frequented by a crowd of 1,000 “satisfied” children from the first weekend, and continuously thereafter, including during the week.
Storm, purchasing power: everything has not been rosy, however
However, in the shops, the results are mixed: despite very high attendance, purchases were timid, while the end-of-year holiday period is
An “important moment for the attractiveness of the city and for the businesses” since some of them achieve a large part of their turnover at this time, “sometimes more than in summer”. But despite the busyness of the city, particularly between Christmas and New Year, the full parking lots and the crowded streets, “people are cautious. With purchasing power having fallen, inflation, the price of energy, the political context… We are far from euphoria,” laments Dominique Orhant, who nevertheless wants to emphasize that traders “ played the game well”, by decorating their windows to attract customers.
The weather also came to play spoilsport, since for two weekends, first with storm Darragh then with depression Enol, the wind blew, encouraging people to stay at home. A notable shortfall on key holiday weekends, “which unfortunately will not be recovered later…” A point on which the town hall can, however, do nothing. The three food trucks were also impacted by these windy episodes.
For next year, the elected official assures us: there will indeed be a third year in this format!
Swiss
