Christmas comes to the capital

Big switch-on tonight

Christmas officially comes to the capital this evening (Thursday).

The town’s festive lights will be switched-on at 7pm and there’s plenty of entertainment going on either side of that.

Douglas Corporation is promising a cracker of a Christmas.

The fun on Lower Ridgeway Street outside the town hall begins at quarter past six with seasonal music from Douglas Town Band.

There’ll be a sneak preview of this year’s Gaiety pantomime ‘Aladdin, and local talent Alexandra Slater – the Young Actor of Mann and Sheffield Plate winner – will sing festive songs with the crowd.

That’s all ahead of the big switch-on at seven o’clock carried out by Mayor Debbie Pitts when ‘snow’ will fall, Santa will be in his grotto and Thursday late-night shopping will begin.

There’ll also be a willow lantern parade from Regent Street, weaving its way through town to the Villa Marina Arcade, where there will be refreshments and carols led by the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra.