THE final touches are being made to the Christchurch Christmas Festival today.

The event will see a range of different attractions including a Christmas market in the High Street from 10am until 7pm, with music and entertainment in Saxon Square.

Santa and his reindeer will leave Peeks Partystore in Reid Street at 4pm and will process down Bargates to arrive in the High Street at 4.30pm.

Santa will then take his reindeer down to the Priory Church where the reindeer can be petted and children can hand in their Christmas wish letters.

The Christmas lights switch-on will take place in the High Street at the later time of 6pm.

Organisers have thanked sponsors who are supporting Christchurch Christmas Festival, including Stewarts Garden Centres, the Captains Club Hotel and Harbour Hotels.

Christchurch Borough Council is giving sponsorship to the newly-formed committee of volunteers while Christchurch Round Table is sponsoring the music and entertainment.

The council have confirmed there will be free parking once again in Christchurch town centre this year.

It will start in Christchurch and Highcliffe after 10am from December 17 to 24.

Free parking in council-run car parks in Wimborne is on the first three weekends in December and after 10am from Tuesday, December 16 to Friday, December 19 and after 10am from Monday, December 22 to Wednesday 24.

The free parking periods do not apply in car parks owned by Waitrose and The Co-op in Wimborne.