EDIT WITH CORRECTION: In the Friday, November 30 issue of the Gazette, we said the wrong weekday for the Salcombe Christmasfest. While the evening is, indeed, on December 4, it is NOT on Thursday, it was Tuesday.

We apologise for the confusion.

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What better way to kick off the holiday season than watching a Christmas lights switch-on, sipping a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate, all while browsing for gifts and maybe stopping in to visit Father Christmas?

All that and more will be available tonight for Salcombe Christmasfest, where the town will be decorated in twinkling lights along the idyllic Salcombe and Kingsbridge estuary. 

Put on by the Salcombe Rotary Club in conjunction with the Salcombe Christmas Lights Committee and Salcombe Information Centre, Christmasfest promises an evening of festive fun.

So come on down and support the local community as most of the town’s shops will be open for late night shopping, and Whitestrand will be closed off and full with market stalls, Salcombe’s Christmas tree, and Father Christmas’s grotto. 

The evening begins at the bottom of Fore Street at 6pm with the Salcombe Brownies singing a couple carols followed by Father Daniel with a few words about Christmas. 

This will then cue the lights switch-on as the fire engine sitting opposite the museum and information centre will lead the parade procession up to Whitestrand where it will park for the evening, allowing for children to have a look at the vehicle. 

An exciting new addition to this year’s children’s entertainment is a free-to-ride inflatable slide in Whitestrand provided by Salcombe Harbour Hotel. 

And of course, arrange a visit on Santa’s knee to see if you’ve made the naughty or nice list! Santa’s grotto will be nestled in Whitestrand and is sponsored by Salcombe Holiday Homes and the Victoria Inn for a small charge of £2 which will go back into the Salcombe Christmas Lights Committee.  

So while the kiddies are busy having a slide, parents and guardians will have a chance to browse the market stalls that will be trading until 7.30pm with special Christmasfest offers.

All the while Captain Morgan’s will keep everyone’s bellies full and warm with their mulled wine and selection of snacks. 

Peter Ralph, from the Rotary Club of Salcombe, took the time to give a warm thank you to the Christmas Lights Committee, Salcombe Information Centre and the community for making this such a fabulous Christmas event which was so well-attended last year. 

Keep in mind that Whitestrand will be closed off for parking, but Shadycombe and Creek car parks will be available. 

This event is a community event, so money raised will go back into future Salcombe Christmasfest expenses.