CHRISTMAS has come early for Cardigan in the shape of a £30,000 grant from Visit Wales.

Jubilant members of the Cardigan Town Centre Partnership say the windfall will guarantee the town’s best-ever Christmas.

They say Cardigan is going to be the place to visit over the festive period with a Festive Fortnight starting in early December with a packed programme of events and attractions aimed at getting visitors flooding in.

Highlights include a Christmas and Eisteddfod-themed lantern parade through the streets, riverside fireworks display, a two-day Christmas Fair at Cardigan Castle, reindeer in the Guildhall Courtyard, late-night shopping, concerts, live music, pop-up events and a Christmas Cabaret.

The fortnight will start on 3 December with the switching-on of the Christmas lights and includes free parking on Saturdays thanks to Ceredigion County Council.

The initiative - funded by the Welsh Government’s Tourism Product Innovation Fund - has been spearheaded by the Partnership under the umbrella brand of Creative Cardigan/Aberteifi Creadigol.

Town mayor Cllr Clive Davies, who chairs the partnership, said the funding would help put Cardigan on the map and attract people to the town in the run-up to Christmas.

“It will allow Cardigan to showcase its original shops and unique cultural and historic attractions to visitors outside of the traditional tourist season,” he added.

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online now