A FESTIVE last chance shopping event will be taking place in Tavistock Pannier Market and town centre this weekend.

On Sunday, December 18, the pannier market will host more than 30 local businesses, which will be on hand to help shoppers tick-off their Christmas lists.

If you often leave your seasonal shopping until the week before, then this is your chance to grab some last minute gifts.

Tavistock shops will join in the festive event and will be open for you to browse at your leisure.

There will also be workshops, children’s activities, festive music and a town trail.

The last chance shopping event, which has been organised by Miss Ivy Events, will run from 10am until 3pm and is free for visitors.

Jo Macascie, director of Miss Ivy Events, said: ‘We’ve got 35 traders in the pannier market — we’ve also got festive workshops and entertainment.

‘There will be an exciting gnome trail in the market.

‘Participants will have to seek out the hidden gnomes that will each have a letter attached. Once all the gnomes have been spotted and the letters have been collected — it will spell out a word.’

‘There will also be the 12 Shops of Christmas trail, where people will be giving clues on a sheet and have to make their way down the high street looking again for letters and clues.

‘In Bedford Square there will be children’s entertainment and fantastic live music. Lots of the shops around the town will also be involved.

‘The aim of the event is to encourage people to realise that instead of buying all of their Christmas shopping online, they could shop iwithn the fantastic small businesses that we have in the pannier market and in the other shops in Tavistock.’