ALTON High Street will be brim full of festive stalls, food, fun, games and entertainment this weekend.

The occasion is the town’s annual Yuletide Festival on Sunday, which runs from 10am-4pm.

Now firmly established as one of Alton’s biggest crowd-pullers, the festival is expected to draw visitors from across the district eager to enjoy the party atmosphere.

Special features this year will include Walls funfair rides at the lower end of the High Street and miniature Christmas donkeys who, for the first time, will be joined by rare-breed sheep on the lawn outside Alton Assembly Rooms, where there will be craft and charity stalls aplenty as well as an opportunity for children to visit Santa in his magical grotto.

Throughout the day there will be street entertainment provided by bands, choirs and schools from the stage area in front of The Swan Hotel. Morris dancers will perform along the High Street, and at noon the Salvation Army will be entertaining the crowd with traditional carols at the Turk Street junction.

At the same time, Alton Community Centre will hold its annual ‘Christmas Cracker’ event with more festive stalls, refreshments, and an opportunity to send a letter via Santa’s postbox.

All town centre car parking will be free on the day courtesy of East Hampshire District Council.

* One of Alton’s oldest houses, 1a High Street, will open its doors throughout the weekend to host Art in the Alley, a unique showcase for arts and crafts by a range of Hampshire makers and artists. The event will coincide with Small Business Saturday tomorrow, when East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds will be in town visiting some of Alton’s new retail businesses, and Sunday’s Yuletide Festival.