There is plenty of magic to experience in Lyme Regis this Christmas.

The Big Christmas Weekend will take over the town on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15.

There is loads to see and do including a Christmas Tree Festival, Santa’s Grotto, a makers market, best dressed window competition, live music, and festive savings to be had at local shops.

The Christmas Tree Festival held in the Pine Hall at the Baptist Church is one of the town’s best loved festive events which showcases a stunning array of glittering Christmas trees decorated by local groups, businesses and organisations.

The Makers Market on the other hand is the perfect opportunity to purchase a unique gift with products from artists to bakers, jewellers to handmade crafts and more.

Prior to this on Saturday, November 23 shortly after 5pm as the town’s Christmas lights will be switched on to mark an exciting start to the festive season.

It will follow a day of festive cheer with a Christmas lantern workshop at 2pm in the Lyme Regis Baptist Church Pine Hall – this is a free event with all materials provided.

At 4pm the lanterns will be judged with prizes given for the best entries in each category.

Then at 5pm, Lyme Regis Majorettes, Fitsteps and Lyme Morris will be performing in Broad Street, followed by a parade of Christmas lanterns before Santa arrives to switch on the lights.

Cllr Philip Evans, mayor of Lyme Regis and chairman of the council’s Tourism, Community and Publicity Committee, said: “The Christmas lights’ display in Lyme Regis is a spectacular sight and is widely regarded as the best in the area.

“The Christmas lights’ switch-on and the lantern parade draws in hundreds of people and signals the start of the festive season in the town.

“As mayor, I will have the honour of leading the countdown and Santa will press the button to light up Lyme, something I am thoroughly looking forward to.

“The volunteer committee work hard throughout the entire year to fund the display and Lyme Regis Town Council is proud to be a major sponsor.

“It’s great to see businesses in the town getting behind the event, with sponsorship, beautifully dressed windows and decorated trees on buildings. It’s a real community event which the whole town eagerly awaits each year.”