SUMMER may be in full swing but the countdown to Christmas has officially started with plans for the biggest ever yuletide festival set to hit Weymouth’s streets revealed.

Bosses from Weymouth’s Business Improvement District have announced they will be hosting a three-week programme of festive activities throughout the town centre in December .

The events will run from December 4 until New Year’s Eve, and have been organised in an attempt to entice more shoppers into the town centre.

Called 'The BIG Christmas festival', there will be an array of activities in the town centre, such as a real ice rink, the return of the popular Victorian Shownight, pop-up pantomimes, a Santa’s grotto and many more.

Weymouth BID said it decided to launch a longer programme of activities after a number of businesses in the town centre said they would like to see the traditional Victorian Shownight extended throughout December.

As well as trying to attract more shoppers, BID bosses will also use the latest technology to analyse shopper’s movements in the main streets of Weymouth and use the data to not only improve future events, but to attract more retailers into the area.

Steve Newstead, chairman of Weymouth BID, said: “We have gained experience from the Christmas events held in 2013 and 2014, the team have listened to ideas from town centre businesses who wanted activity throughout the month.

“During December events, Weymouth can see footfall traffic increase to over 300,000 visitor movements at the weekends. The BIG Christmas will cover a 21-day programme with three weekends of activity which will be fantastic for businesses and sponsors.

“The BID will be recording the visitor movements in Weymouth town centre with the footfall cameras which were installed in 2014.

“This December the BID will have valuable like-for-like data to compare visitor numbers and movements.”

The festivities will officially kick off on December 4 with Santa arriving in the town with two of his reindeer, and the real ice rink will be open until December 23.

As the preparations now gather pace ahead of Christmas, Weymouth BID is now appealing to local businesses to sponsor the event, with Goadsby Estate Agents already registering its interest.

Nigel Reed, BID Manager, said: “Some large multiple retailers and services have already put forward their interest. “We have made sure that the sponsorship opportunities reflect a range of prices and exposure so that there is something for every size of business.

“We are once again working with local media partners Dorset Echo to provide BID Members the opportunity of discounted advertising before Christmas.”

For more information about the event, visit weareweymouth.co.uk/christmas or contact Mr Reed on 01305 779410

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