A PROGRAMME of town centre Christmas entertainment in Wellington continued this weekend with a reindeer and Snow Queen greeting families while doing their Saturday shopping.

Father Christmas was also seeing children in his grotto next to the town’s Christmas tree, in High Street, while Wellington Silver Band performed outside the Co-op supermarket.

The festivities have been organised by Wellington Town Council, which last weekend staged the official annual switch-on of the town’s Christmas lights.

Parking in the town’s public car parks was also free all day Saturday thanks to a town council subsidy, and will be free again on each of the Saturdays up to Christmas.

Snow Queen Wellington Christmas shopping
Children meet the Snow Queen in Wellington town centre. ( )

More street entertainment has been planned for next Saturday (10th) and December 17 and 22, including ‘Bouncy Elves’ and squirrels ‘Mr and Mrs Nutkin’.

A children’s Christmas Craft Workshop led by Felicity Shillingford is being held by the council on December 10 in the Wellington Scouts headquarters, next to the Co-op, between 10 am and 3 pm.

Youngsters aged five to 12 years will be able to create puppets and models which they can decorate with a variety of materials and take home with them, all for free.

Santa grotto Wellington Christmas town centre
Santa in his grotto in Wellington town centre. ( )

The council is continuing to hold a public consultation before deciding on a new Christmas lights display for 2023.

Its three-year agreement with the Festive Lighting Company, in West Buckland, runs out this Christmas and it wants to hear the views of the community on how the lights should look before agreeing a new deal.

A website survey form can be found at https://www.wellingtontowncouncil.co.uk/survey.