The markets are being held at Bacup Market on 5 December, Haslingden Market on 11 December, and Rawtenstall Market on 12 December. The markets are open from 9am to 4pm.

To really get in the Christmas spirit, the 3 markets will also have local bands and choirs singing carols on the Christmas Market days, as well as Santa’s Grotto. Each of the markets will have free mince pies on offer and Bacup Market even has children’s entertainment.

But the festive fun doesn’t end there. Throughout December, Rossendale’s 3 markets will have musical entertainment from local bands and choirs including Haslingden & Helmshore Brass Band, Rossendale Male Voice Choir, Water Brass Band, the Salvation Army, Stacksteads Brass Band and Whitworth Junior Band.

Bacup Market will open Santa’s Grotto every Saturday in December and Rawtenstall Market opens its grotto every Thursday and Saturday throughout the month.

Rawtenstall Market and Bacup Market will be open on Christmas Eve for last minute Christmas Shopping and collecting your festive goodies in time for the big day.

The lively, colourful, 80 page guide features brand new high class glossy photography, showing the best that Rossendale has to offer.

It includes new visitor itineraries for the towns and villages in Rossendale, giving tourists suggestions for how to spend a day in each place.

The Visitors Guide will be distributed to all Tourist Information Centres in the North of England and within 90 minutes drive of Rossendale information points, Moto service stations, Little Chefs, local attractions, libraries and at Boundary Mill.

Copies will also be provided in Rossendale to all local attractions, accommodation providers and advertisers as well as local restaurants and information points, including the One Stop Shop in Rawtenstall.

The initial print run is for 10,000 copies of the handbag sized guide and a further 10,000 will be produced next year when the guide is refreshed with events for 2010 included.

The guide has been backed by 63 of the areas tourism and leisure providers who have placed adverts in it.

The Shoe Trail, installed by Groundwork Pennine Lancashire, aims to boost the number of people visiting the Halo.

The shoes are positioned at regular intervals and key sites along the trail and have information plaques mounted on them highlighting things of interest.

The shoes were designed by students from All Saints High School and Haslingden High School and have been hand carved by artist Julie Miles.

The trail celebrates Rossendale‘s famous shoe industry and clay has been used because the site of the Halo at Top o’ Slate was once a clay pit supplying many nearby brick factories.

Special carved relief brick plaques at the start and end of the trail celebrate the areas industry and landscapes.

Key features of the plan include:

• Heywood Station – replacement of the existing temporary station with a permanent building.
• Extension to Castleton, Rochdale – extending the ELR from Heywood to Castleton and linking up with the Rochdale Canal.
• Bury Transport Museum – reopening an enhanced ELR Transport Museum in October 2009.
• Rawtenstall Station – the ELR will work with Rossendale Borough Council to offer improved café facilities, a platform canopy and improved links to the town centre.
• Burrs Country Park – the ELR currently passes through Burrs Country Park without stopping. A new stop will be built, linking the ELR with the park’s caravan site and activity centre.
• Buckley Wells Heritage Centre – development of a heritage railway visitor centre.
• Ramsbottom – raising the profile of Ramsbottom as a destination.

The East Lancashire Railway Trust comprises 3 local authorities (Bury Council, Rossendale Borough Council, and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council) plus the East Lancashire Light Railway Company.