A GALA dinner featuring magician Chris Acton has raised more than £3,000 towards Okehampton’s Christmas lights and the carnival.

The dinner was staged by community group Everything Okehampton at the Charter Hall on October 11.

Christine Marsh, from Everything Okehampton, said £500 from the total was being given towards the carnival, with the balance going towards the town’s Christmas lights which cost £5,000 to put up each year.

‘Our next event will be the ever popular Edwardian Evening on Thursday, December 5,’ she said. ‘This year there will be a grand switch on by Radio Devon presenter Matt Woodley following the ringing of the Curfew Bell.

‘Everyone will have lots to do with street food, the reindeer and the Steel Band in Red Lion Yard. Father Christmas will be visiting the museum,

‘Jack Frost will be entertaining everyone throughout the town and a warm welcome awaits those visiting our local businesses.

‘There will be a programme of events nearer the time.’

Everything Okehampton is the group of volunteers who have taken on responsibility for the Christmas lights and Edwardian Evenings from the town’s Chamber of Trade, which folded in February this year.

The Christmas lights, among the best in the area, are put up over three Sundays in November by a trio of volunteers from the town who give their time for free each year.

Lighting engineer Mike Harding, electrician Louis Enderson and community stalwart Steve Bolt get up early on three successive Sundays in November to put the lights up.

Three cherrypickers allow them to get up high enough to string the lights across the street and this represents the biggest cost of the installation.

Once the lights are up, Everything Okehampton needs help putting up 120 Christmas trees it has ordered along the streets and decorating them with lights.

This will take place on Sunday, December 1 starting at 7am.

If you can help, contact the group at [email protected]

The group are also looking for help towards the cost of the Christmas lights.

Any individual, business or organisation that can help is invited to leave the donation with group member Mark at Donald’s Menswear.

Alternatively get in touch on the Everything Okehampton email address.