It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in West Dorset.

Beaminster Christmas lights will be switched on at 6.30pm tomorrow (Friday, November 30). There will be carol singing, hot food and a visit from Father Christmas. Beaminster School Christmas Fair is taking place in the parish church.

Crowds will gather at West Bay on Sunday for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree on Harbour Green.

Organised by Churches Together in Bridport and District, Christmas Tree on the Green will start at 3pm, with the lighting of the tree at 4.15pm.

Expect music from St Swithun's Band, carols, free refreshments and a presentation to beneficiaries, including St Catherine's Pre-school and 1st West Bay Sea Scouts.

In Bridport, the annual Christmas Cheer evening will take place on Wednesday (5). Christmas street lights are already up, the town council is busy putting up trees above shops in South, East and West Street and businesses are busy getting their festive window displays ready for the competition.

The lively evening kicks off at 4pm with children from local primary schools singing Christmas carols in Bucky Doo Square and the United Church.

This will be followed by the grand procession of handmade lanterns from Barrack Street to Bucky Doo Square, where the Christmas tree lights will be switched on by mayor, Cllr Barry Irvine.

Father Christmas will arrive on his sleigh and there will be a free gift, donated by Toymaster and Groves Nurseries, for every child that visits Santa’s grotto outside the Arts Centre.

There will be live music from local performers throughout the evening at Bucky Doo Square, outside the Bull Hotel and the Ropemakers, and dancing outside Bridport Antiques in West Street, as well as singing and Christmas surprises at Bridport LSI.

The town hall, arts centre and Electric Palace will be packed with stalls selling a selection of handmade arts and crafts, with many of the shops staying open and market traders, community groups and charity stalls lining the streets.

The town’s hospitality outlets will be offering refreshments, with many busy making festive drinks for this year’s cocktail, mocktail and winter warmer drinks trail.

More details can be found at bridportchristmascheer.co.uk

Bridport United Church will once again be filled with Christmas trees, all decorated by a charity or community group, and will be open for the public to look around.

The Lyme Regis community is gearing up for one of the town’s biggest events of the year with Switch On Saturday this weekend.

The town’s Christmas lights will be turned on in Broad Street, with events starting from 3pm.

Both children and adults are encouraged to join in with the fun at a lantern making workshop at Lyme Regis Baptist Church at 3pm, before their masterpieces - made at home or at the workshop - are judged at 4.30pm.

These will then be a part of the popular parade with the majorettes and Father Christmas, which leaves the church at 5.15pm to make its way to the Christmas tree in Broad Street.

Lyme Regis mayor, Cllr Michaela Ellis will have the honour of officially turning on the town’s Christmas tree lights at 5.30pm.

Broad Street will be closed to traffic from 5.10pm to 6pm on the evening. Events will continue in the town during the run up to Christmas, including the Christmas tree festival taking place at the Baptist Church from December 21 to 23.

The annual Rotary carols round the tree will also be taking place on Saturday, December 22, attracting hundreds of people to gather around the Christmas tree in Broad Street to sing songs with the Lyme Regis Town Band. This takes place from 7pm.

This year, The Town Mill has teamed up with Christmas Tree for Life for residents to ‘adopt’ a tree for the festive period.

The scheme enables people to choose the size and shape of their tree, which is then delivered to their door and collected after Christmas.

For more information, visit townmill.org.uk

Santa and his helpers will be spreading some Christmas joy around a village near you. 

The Rotary Club of Brit Valley has been busy getting his sledge and reindeer ready to visit Bridport and the surrounding villages and towns during December. 
Here is a list of areas he will be visiting next month: 

  • Monday, December 3, Bradpole
  • Tuesday, December 4, Howard Road, Jessop’s Avenue and Happy Island
  • Thursday, December 6, Court Orchard
  • Monday, December 10, Beaminster.
  • Tuesday, December 11, Beaminster
  • Thursday, December 13, Cherry Tree and West Mead
  • Monday, December 17, Meadowlands and West Bay
  • Tuesday, December 18, Skilling 
  • Wednesday, December 19, St Katherine’s Way 
  • Thursday, December 20, Burton Bradstock

Santa and his sleigh will stop off at about 5.30pm on each event and all are invited to cheer him on his way.


Helpers will be on-hand so look out for those wearing hi-vis jackets with a Rotary logo.
As well as the locations listed above, Santa will visit Bridport town centre on Saturday mornings throughout December.


The Rotary Club of Brit Valley has thanked Stag’s Estate Agents for its sponsorship of the float.
A spokesman for the club said: "In addition, we should like to thank Burton Bradstock Cars for the loan of their four-wheel drive truck used to pull Santa's sleigh."