BRIGG CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON AND FAIR 2017 - OUR EXTENSIVE PREVIEW OF WHAT'S ON OFFER

The  best-attended event of 2017 in Brigg - the annual Christmas lights switch-on and festive fair - will be held this Friday (December 1).
A couple of thousand people of all ages will throng the town centre and  many businesses will stay open late into the evening to assist with all-important Christmas shopping.
The 5-4-3-2-1 countdown at 5pm, in the Market Place, will be followed by the switch-on of the town centre's extensive Christmas lights, provided as ever by Brigg Town Council.
The centre-piece will be a large and illuminated Christmas tree, close to the Buttercross and the NatWest Bank.
Brigg District Lions' Christmas Fair will see a wide range of stalls and  rides for the children to enjoy. Also be sure to take a look in the Angel building and  St John's Church Hall.
There will be many stalls in the Angel Suite selling various gifts, craft items and decorations.
Stephen Hill will have  some of his original artwork showing Brigg scenes available for sale.
Various charities will have stalls operating on Friday as part of the Lions' fair and would welcome your support with their fundraising, as will  charity shops open on the night.
A range of fast food and snacks will be on sale from vans, stalls and shop-based outlets and pubs within the town centre.
There will be photo opportunities a-plenty. 

 

For many years the list has included a BBQ outside the Deli & Diner, where the sausages and burgers sizzle away while cooking.
We also like to photograph queues of eager folk outside Sankey's Sweet Shop, also on Wrawby Street.

Proprietor Natalie has been in business for 10 years at this location and her traditional outlet has a real Dickensian feel.  
Christmas humbug takes on a different meaning to that afforded by Mr Scrooge!
Staff at Scalini's fish and chip  shop/restaurant, on Wrawby Street, and the Hungry Fishermen, down Coney Court, are always rushed off their feet coping with the demand for something warming.
Niche shops, of which Brigg has such a wide range, will also prove popular.
Some of these are located in the courtyards and alleys off Wrawby Street. So don't forget to take a look.
The attendance will be linked to the weather, with everyone hoping rain stays away.
However, a bit of snow would only add to the feel of this traditional Christmas event during which traders' tills jingle merrily with thousands of pounds being spent by fun-seeking visitors who come from a very wide area.
Many small towns across the UK have long since ditched their illuminations due to stringent 'elf and safety' requirements and the cost of providing the bulbs and electricity.
But Brigg Town Council remains determined to keep the long-standing tradition alive and in recent years has invested in a new range of LED lights which use far less 'juice' than conventional bulbs.
Here are some pictures taken at past years' switch-ons to put you in the Christmas mood.
They are drawn from Brigg Blog's archive and those kindly supplied by Ken Harrison, of Brigg Matters Magazine.
And finally... Keep your fingers firmly crossed for decent weather on Friday night!