HAMPSHIRE residents continue to get into the Christmas spirit this weekend.

The festive season is kicked off in Fareham and Romsey as the towns celebrate their Christmas lights switch-ons.

Fareham’s Victoria Christmas event takes place over the whole of the weekend.

Festive stalls will line the streets from 10am to 8pm on Saturday and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday.

The lights switch on takes place on Sunday at 4.30pm when royal guests, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, will join the mayor of Fareham, Cllr Susan Bayford.

Father Christmas will appear at the family friendly event, as well as fun festive activities including fair rides, free face painting, reindeer, Victorian stilt walkers and policemen on penny farthings, arts and crafts and food and drink stalls.

Executive member for leisure and community at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Sue Bell, said: “It will be a fantastic weekend for the whole family to enjoy with activities and attractions for everyone. Let’s make it a Christmas to remem-ber.”

Meanwhile, the Christmas lights in Romsey will be turned on on Saturday when the winter carnival will also take place.

The carnival procession will start from the Crossfield Hall car park at 6.15pm.

It will go through Broadwater Road, Palmerston Street and The Hundred, and will stop by Boots to await the lights switch-on at 6.30pm.

The procession will then move through the Market Place.

This isn’t the only location that will benefit from decorations this year, as four shopping areas will be given a festive spruce-up.

Southampton City Council confirmed that Shirley, Portswood, Woolston and Bitterne will all see their high streets decorated in new festive lights and decorations this weekend, following feedback from residents.

In Bitterne, the council will be partnering with NHS University Hospital and their mascot will switch on the lights in tribute to the 70th anniversary of the NHS and all NHS staff in Southampton at a community switch-on event tomorrow at 5pm.

Southampton, Winchester and Eastleigh’s Christmas festivities were all launched in a blaze of colour last week.