Stowmarket Christmas Fayre will deliver festive cheer with more than 60 market stalls and activities

Christmas is just around the corner and a town is preparing for a busy weekend of festive fun.

Stowmarket has three major Christmas events to look forward to including the Christmas lights switch on, the Christmas Tree Festival and the Christmas Fayre.

Here’s our guide to three events and how you can make the most of them.

Christmas lights switch on

The festivities will formally kick off on Friday where ITV Anglia newsreader Becky Jago will be switching on the town’s Christmas lights.

The big switch on will be at St Peter and St Mary’s Parish Church in Church Walk and will see venues across Stowmarket offer festive food, drink and activities.

The event starts at 6pm and the lights will be turned on at about 6.20pm.

Christmas tree festival

Along with the town’s lights, Friday’s event will also coincide with the 18th annual Christmas Tree Festival that will see more than 300 trees lit up that have been decorated by the town’s communities.

Many organisations, groups, schools, businesses and individuals across Stowmarket have applied to decorate trees that will appear in six venues.

This includes St Peter and St Mary’s Church, Stowmarket Library, Food Museum, The Walnut pub, the Red Gables gardens and Maxwell Brown Estate Agents.

The trees are supplied by the festival organisers and 370 Christmas trees will fill the church with festive spirit.

The church will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm and members of the public can visit until 31st January.

Christmas Fayre

The festive weekend will finish with a bang as the town will be taken over by this year’s Christmas Fayre on Sunday.

Organised by Stowmarket Town Council, the event will see more than 60 unique market stalls in the town centre which will all offer a mix of gifts, treats, food and drink.

The fayre will be from 10am to 4pm and will see many venues taking part and spreading festive cheer.

There will be the Stowmarket Craft Market at The Mix and the John Peel Centre is hosting a free music concert featuring Stow Chorale, Ipswich Reggae Choir and pianist Will Fergusson.

The Food Museum is also offering family fun activities including free fairground rides for children, farm animals and Father Christmas’ grotto.

For more information on the events, follow this link.

Families will also be given the chance to enjoy free toy building workshops in St Peter and St Mary’s Church Hall, free Christmas crafts at Stowmarket Library and a charity fair at Red Gables.