The countdown is on until Frome's town centre is filled with lanterns at the Light the Night procession for the Christmas tree light switch on, taking place on Friday November 29 from 5pm.

This year the lantern parade will be inspired by the statues cast in Frome by J W Singer as part of the bicentenary birthday celebration project, Casting the World.

Mel Day and Aliss Vaas, part of the lantern team, have hosted several workshops so residents can create their own lanterns and have been working with children from Oakfield and Selwood Academy Schools to create some wonderful angel lanterns.

The procession will also feature the three-metre-high Boudica lantern made with Johnson's Controls that won two prizes in the Frome Carnival.

Everyone is welcome to bring their own lanterns to the parade and DIY kits are still available from the Town Hall and Discover Frome Information Point.

The rest of the evening will be filled with music and merriment to start Frome's Christmas events. The main roads within the town will be closed from 4pm to ensure everyone's safety on the evening and to allow as many people as possible to attend, so alternative travel arrangements may have to be made.

Father Christmas will have his own purpose-built grotto on the marketplace, kindly produced by Protomax using Stormboard, which is made from 100 per cent waste plastic – even Father Christmas does his bit for the environment. All proceeds from the grotto will go to the Toy Library.

With the festivities in mind, why not shop and buy locally this Christmas? Frome Town Council is working with Frome Chamber of Commerce and are happy to announce the late-night shopping evenings in the run up to Christmas.

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Taking place on Thursdays December 5, 12 and 19, businesses will stay open until 7pm allowing residents and visitors alike to shop in the town's array of bespoke shops.