Free Things to do in Suffolk this December to get you Feeling Festive
Let’s be honest, December gets crazy expensive. As soon as advent hits, for us as a family it feels like the flood gate opens and spending goes through the roof! Gifts, food, entertaining at home, as well as going out as a family. So if we can find free or cheap things to do in the run up to Christmas locally in Suffolk, all the better. In fact some of my treasured festive memories of when my children were very little at Christmas were the free things – I remember my kids loved walking around the Christmas tree festival in Sudbury Arts Centre (or St Peter’s church as it was then) and my daughter still enjoys it now, as do I. Its heart warming looking at all the home made decorations and spotting all the different organisations involved. Another special memory that we got into the habit of doing every year, was going for a walk looking for the craziest Christmas lights on Christmas eve. (Maybe partly to get the over excited kids out of the house, to burn off some energy before bedtime too!)
If you’re after a bit of festive fun around Suffolk without all the spends, here are some ideas I’ve spotted around the county, these aren’t big, all-day outings, more little extras to make things feel a bit magical, that you might not know about.
Christmas Lights Tractor Parade Suffolk
For something a little different, check out the Suffolk Tractor Light Parade, I’d never heard of this before and it sounds fantastic. A procession of tractors decked in festive lights is going to parade through Suffolk towns including Woodbridge and Redlesham on the 14th December.
It’s free to watch (though donations for charity are encouraged) and it’s become a really lovely community event. Watching a line of over 120 tractors twinkle through the Suffolk countryside feels special in a unique, countryside-Suffolk way. You can find out all the details and route on their website – The Suffolk Tractor Christmas Light Parade.
Free Ice Rinks in December in Suffolk 2025
Often in December there are also free pop up ice rinks that appear in Suffolk town centres. Admittedly they they don’t quite compare to the big ones, but worth it for a free treat to break up the day. This year there is going to be ice skating at the Arc in Bury St Edmunds from 23rd December through to January 5th (Closed on Christmas day) with sessions that 30 minutes long, including putting on and taking off skates and Skates are provided. There will also be a pop up ice rink in Felixstowe on the 22nd and 23rd December. This is just part of the Suffolk coastal towns festive event, running across two days with a festive choir, live music and market too.
Sometimes all you need for a bit of magic is an evening walk under the twinkly Christmas lights. Not a big trip out, but so many Suffolk homes and business go so to town with their displays it can be fun just having a walk, to find the best dressed house. Our favourites include Cats Lane in Sudbury, where so many families go all out with their colourful light displays. Or if you visit Long Melford why not set the kids the task of counting all the lit up trees, as the village’s signature decoration, is a lit up tree attached to the buildings. Where have you seen amazing lights this year? have you spotted a fab one that’s doing it for charity you’d like more people to visit. Come over to Instagram and let me know and I’ll add them into this guide.
The Coca Cola Christmas Truck is coming to Suffolk in December 2025
Now I’m not sure if this will be as exciting to other people, as I’ve always had a love of anything Coca Cola (And used to collect Coke merchandise a lot as a kid) But it is also very much a sign of Christmas – the Coca Cola Truck. It is become an event in itself as it travels around the country in December, but only stops in a few counties each year and after a long absence, its coming back to Suffolk. This year its coming to Ipswich on Friday 5th December at The Kingfisher in Hawthorn Drive between 12pm and 8pm and then Saturday it will be Waitrose Crane Boulevard all day. And its not just a truck, there’s often Christmas themed games, merchandise, photo ops and of course free cans of coke given out.
Christmas Tree Festivals in Suffolk 2025
If you like a bit of sparkle without the price tag, a Christmas tree festival is a lovely low-cost outing.
One wonderful example is the Ipswich Christmas Tree Festival at Ipswich Minster, entry is free and its on up until the 7th December. Sudbury Arts Centre also hold a popular one every year with the event taking place in 2025 between December 3rd-7th. You can stroll through beautifully decorated trees and soak up the gentle festive atmosphere. It’s perfect for a quick visit with little ones in tow or spend time there with older ones, enjoying the decorations and reading all about the different organisations that have got involved.
