AN annual Christmas event in Wantage to help boost the local economy and mark the start of the festive season is taking place this Friday (December 2).

Wantage Dickensian Evening, which has been running for about 30 years, will take place from 6pm in the Market Place, museum, parish church, and Wantage Methodist Church.

It will include the Christmas light switch on, carol singing, reindeers, Christmas stalls, a fairground, children’s entertainment, a grotto and more.

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The event, which encourages people to attend dressed in Victorian clothing, was first founded to promote local retailers.

St.John Dickson, who has been chairman of the Dickensian organising committee for six years, said the event still gives a boost to the town’s businesses.

He said: “Things are hard for businesses right now and it’s good to promote their hard work at local shops and it gets people in.

“The shops tend to do quite well in the evening and promote their things and also not just for the night but for people to realise there are more local shops in Wantage than they realise.

“That’s why we are always keen to get the event going. In a way, people do think Christmas has started when the event comes around.”

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Mr Dickson, who has been on the organising committee for about 13 years, added that the event is a ‘lovely tradition’ and urges people to get involved.

He said: “It’s to attract people to celebrate the start of Christmas – it’s a big event and around two to 3,000 people attend.”

Mayor Jim Sibbald, who will be turning on the lights at 6pm, said the event is the start of festive celebrations in the town and helps to ‘boost business’.

“We have thousands of people turn up and they come from far and wide such as Swindon, Oxford and beyond,” he said. “It’s a highlight of the festive season.

“The local population look forward to it and it’s the start of what is a very busy time as mayor up until Christmas Eve.

“It does boost business along with the free car parking in junction with the district council to encourage local business use. I

“t's a marker in the calendar that is Wantage’s own. We have other towns that do things but if you want a Victorian evening you come to Wantage.”

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Mr Sibbald added that people should attend and enjoy themselves with ‘mulled wine and roasted chestnuts’.

He added: “It’s always great to see the young people light up with the lights switch on. It’s not just for the people of Wantage it’s well supported by the surrounding towns and villages.”

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This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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