Father Christmas will be the special guest at Helston’s first Christmas Fayre today (Friday).

Although his reindeers are busy preparing for the big night on December 24, Santa will be bringing his new “go faster” sleigh to Helston. He will ride through the town accompanied by Buttons, Cinderella and the Ugly Sisters from Helston Theatre Company’s forthcoming pantomime Cinderella.

Helston town centre will be closed to traffic from 5pm until 9.30pm, with late-night shopping and a street market taking place.

There will also be horse and carriage rides from the Coronation Park car park to the Grylls Monument, pony rides at the top of the Meneage Street and other amusement rides in the town.

Musical entertainment will be filling the streets with festive tunes, including performances from local buskers and choirs.

Event organisers, the Helston Business Improvement Partnership, have also invited Swamp Circus, a circus training school, to the event and they will be performing their various acts in the streets.

Friday is the last day people can take part in this year’s Christmas Town Trail, for which entry forms are available at a number of shops in the town.

Completed entries should be posted in one of the two special red post boxes in the town, where letters to Father Christmas can also be left.

Father Christmas will be picking up his post after the procession, to take back to the North Pole.

However, before he arrives at around 7.30pm, he will be picking the Town Trail winners who will receive cash prizes of £50, £30 and £15.

A Christmas Cabaret is taking place on the same night, starting at 8pm in the Epworth Hall, where ACT2 theatre group will be performing festive tunes and famous musical hits.