The first Tenby Winter Carnival Festival Week (December 8-15) promises to be an action-packed time of exciting, festive-themed and charitable events.
Organised by Tenby Events, the festival opens on Saturday, December 8, with one of the annual arts and craft festivals organised by Tenby and Saundersfoot Lions Club and Tenby Events taking place at the De Valence.
As dusk falls, the focus of events will move outside to High Street and Tudor Square, where there will be plenty of seasonal entertainment, including street performers, two choirs, a band, fire throwers, and a Santa Sprint involving the local pubs.
There will also be charity stalls selling their Christmas wares and serving tasty hot festive refreshments and soup.
The annual Christmas shop window competition also forms part of the event.
The Winter Carnival Parade will start this year from the Library and make its way along South Parade and St. Florence Parade before turning into Belmont Arch and wending its way along Lower Frog Street and Upper Frog Street. It will then turn right into White Lion Street and down High Street and into Tudor Square, from where it will continue along Church Street, St. George Street and back up Upper Frog Street. At the top, it will turn left and go down White Lion Street and back to the Library.
A road closure order will be in place between 4 and 6.30 pm for the event.
"Plans are progressing very quickly for the festival," said Tenby Events representative, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown, at a meeting of Tenby Town Council this week, "but we are in dire need of floats. We have plenty of people who want to take part, but do not have access to lorries. We are insuring everything, all we need is people to donate flat-bed lorries for people to dress."
Following the parade, the festivities continue with a family night at the De Valence from 6.30 pm, where there will be a disco and the carnival prizes will be presented.
There will be no events on the Sunday, but on the Monday, the musical, Wind in the Willows will be staged at the De Valence in aid of Little Hearts Matter, a charity supporting young babies with heart conditions.
Tuesday sees Tenby RFC holding a quiz and bingo event in aid of their various charities, while Wednesday is the Tenby Round Table-organised Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner.
Tenby Youth Club and Youth Forum will be holding an open night on the Thursday between 6 and 10 pm, while Friday heralds a club night and disco with house music, again in aid of Little Hearts Matter.
The finale of the celebrations will be on Saturday when the gala masked ball takes place. Workshops are already being held for youngsters to make masks for them to entertain guests at the event. "Funding is going well and a lot of local businesses have made donations, but we still welcome any more," said Clr. Mrs. Brown.
• There are still two stalls available to local charities. Anyone interested is asked to contact Tenby Events at the De Valence Pavilion, Upper Frog Street.