KIDDERMINSTER is set to dazzle for the festive period when the big Christmas Lights Switch On and Road Show takes place next week.

Father Christmas and the Mayor of Kidderminster Councillor Nicky Gale will kick-start this year’s festivities by flicking the switch to light up the town on Saturday, November 18.

They will be joined by a lucky Birchen Coppice Primary School pupil who will be chosen as the winner of a competition to help design the Mayor’s official Christmas card.

The free family event will be held outside Kidderminster Town Hall between 2pm and 5.30pm with the lights getting turned on a 5.15pm.

The annual celebration has been funded and arranged by Wyre Forest District Council and Kidderminster Town Council.

As well as seeing Father Christmas, a lantern parade involving town schools will also take place between 4.15pm and 5pm. Further entertainment will be provided by BBC Hereford and Worcester.

Councillor Gale said: “I’m really looking to turning on Kidderminster’s Christmas lights this year and I hope everyone will have an enjoyable time, especially in the shared space outside the Town Hall.

“It is a fantastic event that everyone looks forward to each year and an important part of our events calendar.”

Wyre Forest District Council’s free evening Christmas parking initiative will also get underway on November 18.

People using all authority car parks across the district will be able to park for free after 4pm, giving a boost for shoppers and traders. The offer will run until Sunday, December 31.