THE COUNTDOWN to Christmas will begin tonight with an evening of light entertainment in Petersfield town centre.
But a television personality is unlikely to flick the switch when the town’s Christmas lights are turned on at 7.05pm in The Square.
Instead, that honour will fall to town mayor Hilary Ayer, who will be joined by Peter Pan and “other town celebrities” for the countdown.
The festivities will begin two hours beforehand with choirs from Petersfield Infant School and Herne Junior School appearing on stage at 5pm and 5.15pm, respectively, ahead of appearances by the Petersfield Rock Choir and the TPS House Band, rom The Petersfield School.
Revellers will then be encouraged to sing carols with the Salvation Army Band from 6.30pm before the big switch-on.
The light show has been sponsored by Petersfield Town Council with boutique Mint Velvet joining the list of town firms and organisations supporting the event.
Visitors can also expect children’s entertainment from Strawberry Dan and a variety of stalls around The Square during the evening. There will also be late night shopping with dozens of stores around the town centre staying open until 8pm.
Families should also check out the library as staff have asked parents with young children for help with their Christmas decorations.
They will also be offered a festive treat by staff at the visitor centre, who will be showing off their display board advertising all the festive events happening around town.
“We are hoping to arrange music for the evening and have invited members of the public to pop in for a mince pie,” said manager Graham Haynes.
“It’s a great central point for everyone to find out what’s going on.”
Copies of the town council-produced Petersfield Calendar will also be available on the night as well as tickets for the forthcoming Winton Players’ production of Aladdin.