DIDCOT will be transformed into a winter wonderland this evening for a special 25th edition of its annual Christmas street fair.

Some 20,000 visitors are expected to descend on the town from 4pm to enjoy a market, parade and fun fair.

The event, held annually since 1994, this year comes with a Winter Wonderland theme, after residents requested a traditional English celebration.

Last year organisers had gone back to the future with a swinging sixties theme.

The town's Market Place will become a Christmas market, with mulled wine and cider, mince pies, hot chestnuts, Christmas trees and Christmas gift stalls.

There will also be Christmas music, choirs, face painting, balloon modelling and a Punch and Judy show.

Jeanette Howse, chair of Didcot Events which organises the fair, urged everyone to come out and attend.

She said: “It will be bigger and better than ever before and truly celebrates all the things that makes Didcot a truly special place to be.

“Not only do we celebrate the festive season, but the whole community has the opportunity of having fun and a memorable time.”

The town's main street, Broadway, will be closed to traffic and will host a fun fair and stalls featuring 70 groups and artisan traders.

The Orchard Centre, marking its first street fair since its expansion, will host live music, with shops staying open until late.

Father Christmas will lead the parade at 7pm from the Orchard Centre car park, along the Broadway,

He will be joined by the Snow King and Queen in their carriage, followed by pupils from Aureus School.

Other entertainment includes ice stilt walkers, snow cats and white horses.

Didcot’s Mayor Bill Service said: “It is just a fantastic event. The people of Didcot and the surrounding villages all come together meaning there is a real mix of stalls, so many different charities and lots of events going on.

"We then get to switch on the lights and it’s just wonderful. It is such a well-run event too.”

The street fair is this year sponsored by Bovis Homes, the developer behind the nearby Hadden Grove site on the outskirts of the town.

Co-organiser Chris Wallace welcomed the support of the the developer

She said: “It is great to have Bovis Homes at the 25th annual Didcot Street Fair this year.

“With Bovis Homes now building in Didcot it is lovely for the organisation to be supporting the community and being involved in such events.”

For more information about this year’s event, see didcotevents.co.uk