Winter events and activities in Henley on Thames take on a strong family focus leading up to and during the festive period. Here are this year's highlights……

Henley Living Advent Calendar: 01 – 24 December 2015

Like a children's Advent Calendar, a different window or door opens at 6:15pm promptly each evening for a 15 minute performance which varies from carols, music, poetry, book excerpts, sketches, dance or notes from local history or folklore, all with a Christmas or winter focus.

Henley Christmas Festival: 04 December 2015

From 4-10pm Henley town centre streets close to traffic, fairground rides appear, shops stay open late and stalls offer mulled wine, mince pies and seasonal goodies. The evening starts with a children's lantern parade and the Christmas tree lights switch on, accompanied by carol singing in the market place and Santa's Grotto.

Santa Fun Run: 06 December 2015

Annual charity fundraiser covering a two mile long route that starts and finishes at the River and Rowing Museum. All entrants receive a free Santa Hat and hot refreshments. Starts 10am.

Henley's High Street Hootenanny: 06 December 2015

NEW EVENT: Special Sunday opening of shops for a day of special offers, family fun, pop-up performances with roaming entertainment and festive treats. From 11am – 4pm.

Hobbs of Henley – Santa Boat Cruises: 12 / 19 / 20 December 2015

Enjoy a family day out with a river trip aboard the New Orleans from Henley combined with a visit from Santa and family entertainment from Fred in the Shed, a member of the Magic Circle. Cruises run at 11.00 and 14.00 and last 1.5 hours. Tickets include a present for each child, homemade mince pies and cakes, mulled wine for adults and fruit juice for children. Adult £18.50; Seniors £16.50; Children £11.50 (sailing subject to river conditions).

Christmas Concerts: 13 December 2015

Henley Symphony Orchestra gives two family focused performances at Christ Church Centre. The first at 4pm invites children aged 2-6, (younger siblings welcome) to experience a live orchestra and learn a little about the instruments with audience participation. The evening concert for families starts at 6.30pm and will be followed by mulled wine, soft drinks, mince pies, and Christmas carols.

River & Rowing Museum - Mole's Christmas: 21 December 2015

Mole and the characters from Wind in the Willows celebrate the festive season with best Christmas Jumpers, Christmas crafts and carol singing plus make a Christmas mole for the top of the tree. Free with admission – from 10.30am – 4pm

Pantomime – Jack and the Beanstalk: 17 – 27 December 2015

Join Jack as he climbs the beanstalk to defeat the wicked giant, save his beloved Jill and bring a happily ever after to all in Ye Olde Henley Town. The Kenton Theatre show is packed with magic, comedy, live music and beautiful costumes to enchant families.

Edward Lear: Travel and Nonsense – open until 10 January 2016

From extraordinary sketches of landscapes and nature, to the nonsense drawings and verses for which Lear is so well known, the River and Rowing Museum presents around 30 framed works alongside manuscripts and original book publications. The exhibition is coming from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, home of the largest and most comprehensive collection of Lear's work in the UK, with important loans from private collections, which are rarely on public display.

Eduardo Paolozzi: General Dynamic F.U.N: open until 03 January 2016

River and Rowing Museum presents this Hayward Touring exhibition from the Southbank Centre, London, displaying 49 bright screenprints and photolithographs, created between 1965 and 1970. For this series Paolozzi turned to his unique and eclectic archive to make art, exploring the relationship it had with idols, kitsch and popular taste to satirise contemporary society.

For more details about what's on in Henley this winter visit www.visit-henley.com

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Contact for more information: Jackie Ellis, 07969 997985