Arun braced for a host of Christmas joy

The town’s High Street will transform into a winter wonderland as hundreds turn out for the annual Christmas light switch-on and late night shopping event.

Expect a host of family-fuelled fun to bless Littlehampton’s streets with live music, horse-drawn carriage rides, Christmas-themed food stalls and not to mention the abundance of shops and traders that will be extending their opening hours to help you find that perfect gift for your loved one, this year.

The event is set to launch at 5pm and will continue until 8pm. Littlehampton mayor Emma Neno will be pressing the plunger, alongside pantomime characters from Worthing Theatres, to turn on the town’s illuminations.

Elsewhere, Rustington will be hosting its own array of Yuletide jollity on Saturday, December 1.

Santa and his elves will be taking a few hours out from their hectic Christmas schedule to speak to children in the village, at his grotto in the former Edlows store, in The Street.

There will also be a special Kid’s Zone set up, packed full of wintery delights, from messy play to Christmas stories and face-painting inside, between noon and 5pm.

Churchill Parade will be closed to allow traders and stalls to set up for the event. Be prepared for the seasonal scent of mince pies and mulled wine, as well as a display from Rustington Primary School’s choir. The Edwin James Festival Choir will also be performing at the Garden Café from 11.15am.

Arundel will also be celebrating. For the first time, the Duke of Norfolks’ daughter, Lady Isabel, will be switching on the Christmas tree lights, at the Town Square. Festivities begin at 3pm and end at 6pm.