All you need to know about Shrewsbury's Christmas Lights switch-on this week

The event attracts thousands of people for what is also the official start to the town's late-night shopping.

The Square will be closed to all traffic from 8am with Wyle Cop (inbound); High Street; Princess Street and Shoplatch following from 4.30pm to 8pm.

Shrewsbury Town Council’s staff are putting the final touches to their preparations.

But the fun starts from 4.30pm in the Square with entertainment for all the family ahead of the all-important countdown to the switch-on of the Christmas Lights at 6.30pm.

BBC Radio Shropshire’s Clare Ashford will be on stage to welcome the performers and provide MC duties for the evening. Taking part this year will be Identity School of Dance.

Based in Shrewsbury Identity School of Dance offer dance and music theatre classes for children and young adults with special education needs and disabilities.  Also appearing will be legendary panto dame Brad Fitt.

Porthywaen Silver Band and Shrewsbury Male Voice Choir will wrap up the entertainment with a range of Christmas songs and carols before the big countdown at 6.30pm.

Councillor David Vasmer, the Mayor of Shrewsbury, will be doing the honours this year.

He said: “We’ve got a great programme to celebrate the launch of our Christmas lights, with free family entertainment in the Square, and the all-important start of late-night shopping in the run-up to Christmas.

“Christmas in Shrewsbury is magical, and we are looking forward to seeing the Christmas Lights which always brings a festive feel to the town centre; I look forward to seeing as many people as possible on Wednesday evening as we come together for a fun-filled evening and the start of the Christmas season.”

Santa and his sleigh will also be at the bottom of Pride Hill all evening, courtesy of the Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club. There will also be a lit-up tractor courtesy of Rea Valley Tractors situated on High Street.

Shrewsbury’s Shopping Centre will be open until 8.30pm and the Market Hall will stay open until 8pm.

The evening will see the return of the Darwin Shopping Centre’s spectacular giant reindeer Shrewdolph, which will have its very own switch-on to coincide with the Square countdown at 6.30pm.

For those unable to get to the Square, the event will be live streamed with the link available on the Shrewsbury Town Council website: www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk.

The Lights Switch-on for the new Quarry Tree of Wishes will be taking place on Friday, November 22, at 5.30pm. The Tree of Wishes is a campaign to support Save the Hive and for a minimum of a £5 donation you can write a special ‘wish’ which will be placed upon the tree.

Wishes can be made up until December 19.

For further information and to write your wish, please visit the Hive’s Just Giving Page: www.justgiving.com/campaign/tree-of-wishes.