FIREWORKS will light up the sky as Great Yarmouth’s Christmas lights switch-on gets the festive season truly under way.

The honours will be done by mayor Barry Coleman on Wednesday and live bands will perform throughout the evening.

Organisers are backing our Love Local campaign, which aims to celebrate the good things about where we live, and thousands are expected to turn out to see the market place at its very best for the display.

Jonathan Newman, town centre manager, said, “We are staying true to the traditions of Christmas lights switch-ons in the town – Father Christmas, fireworks and family entertainment.

“Our winning formula of local celebrities and sing-along music from local acts has attracted big crowds of people in past years, so I hope parents will wrap their children up warm after school and head down to the Market Place to kick off Christmas 2011 in style.”

The event will herald the beginning of a series of Wednesday late night shopping events and free Sunday parking until December 18.

The Christmas tree and the town’s festive illuminations will be switched on, on Wednesday evening, before a grand rooftop firework display. Music will entertain the crowd from 6.30pm, with Acle-based singer Jessica Todd performing on the stage, be warming up the audience with a set of Chistmas tunes.

The mayor will be joined by Father Christmas before pushing the switch for the town’s Christmas lights to go on at 7pm.

The party atmosphere will continue into the evening with funky seven-piece band The Collective, complete with horn section, playing a set of rousing singalongs until 8pm.

Most town centre shops will be staying open until 8.30pm for the first late night shopping evening of the Christmas period and parking is free on borough Council run car parks from 4pm.

A series of Christmas events and late night shopping dates have now been announced and is as follows:

Friday, December 2 to Sunday 4, Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre in St Nicholas Parish Church.

Saturday, December 3 at 7.30pm Lardal Kantori Norwegian choir will perform a Christmas carol concert in St Nicholas Parish Church.

Wednesday, December 7 from 6.15pm there will be a lantern parade and reindeer in the market place. Town centre shops will be open until 8.30pm.

A tree and crib festival will run from the Wednesday until Saturday 10 in St Nicholas Parish Church from 10am to 4pm.

Wednesday, December 14 from 6.30pm there will be a white Christmas family fun night with The Beach. Town centre shops will be open until 8.30pm.

Wednesday, December 21 from 6.30pm there will be Christmas carols in the market place and shops will be open until 8.30pm

Parking is free from 4pm every day in council run town centre car parks, and from this weekend until December 18 parking is free all day on a Sunday.

This includes all town centre car parks including the Market Gates multi-storey.