NEXT Sunday (December 6) sees Innerleithen coming alive, with a whole programme of events, entertainment, shopping and activities ahead of the big switch on of the town's Christmas lights at 4.40pm.

This year proceedings will begin once again with the amazing Tweedvale Pipe Band calling everyone to gather from 1.45pm at the Memorial Hall.

There are outdoor activities at the Memorial Hall Garden with the ever popular Cycle Pump Track.

The Mason’s are very kindly offering you a chance to warm up as well as hosting a performance from the fantabulous Tweeddale Folk Group. Robert Smail’s Printing Works Get Crafty will also be there offering a chance to make cards and decorations and Isabella will be face painting to fund-raise for her trip to Bangladesh. Tweeddale Action Group are having an open day at their new Innerleithen home in the old Co-op (with Bike Punk Soup and Mince Pies)... do pop in and see them all!

The Pipe Band will be performing again at Scotlight followed by The Innerleithen and District Amateur Operatic Society, in true Switched On tradition, ably accompanied by members of St. Ronan’s Silver Band.

This year Innerleithen First Responders will be getting Switched On at the Co-operative with a Tombola to fund-raise/raise awareness of this vital service for the town. You can talk sculpture at the Buttercup Studio, visit the Findra Pop-Up shop at Glendinnings, view local crafts for sale at the St. Ronan’s Dining Room, get your nails painted and/or a shoulder massage with Siobhan and Lauren at the Beauty Spot and Guess where Santa left his Presents at the Framing Gallery.

The Silver Band are back to gather folk for the Switch On after 4pm, with the raffle being drawn (tickets will be on sale at the Vale Club from 2pm until 4pm) and winners announced before the moment we have all been waiting for... at 4.30pm the switching on of the Christmas Lights! The band will then lead the parade to the Church for the Christmas Community Singing. There is also entertainment from 1pm at the St. Ronan’s Hotel with Unfinished Business, Spoonthrift, Rory Speirs, Bug Eyed, Millie, Cameron Boak and more bands still to be confirmed. The Tweedside Hotel will be showcasing local heroes Frank Usher & Seoras Ashby at 5pm... so something for everyone!

And of course... a chance to shop local until you drop along the High Street, Chapel Street and Traquair Road with the Allotment, Alpine Bikes, Caldwell’s, Chapel Street Gallery, i-Cycles, the Framing Gallery, Robert Smail’s Printing Works, Scotlight, Stuff & Nonsense, Treasure Island, Tweeddale Thrift Shop and the Village Store. Rest and replenish with the Corner House, Innerleithen Church, the Mason’s, No. 1 Peebles Road, Saffron, St. Ronan’s Hotel, Traquair Arms, Tweedside Hotel, the Union Club, Vale Club, the Volcano Takeaway and the Whistle Stop Cafe along the way.

Gen Harrison, property manager at Robert Smail’s Printing Works said: “Please come out to support the Innerleithen Civic Association who put in the time and effort to make the lights so amazing. The Sunday morning team are true heroes for all their efforts! This is also a fantastic opportunity to show your support for the town and local businesses by shopping local this Christmas earlier in the day.

“Following the success of last years Facebook competition (congratulations to Tracey Russell who was last year’s worthy winner!) we will be asking people to collect some ‘Get Christmas by the Antlers’ from Smail’s (either on or before the day) or at the Mason’s from 2pm and take their favourite ‘Switched On’ Photos with said antlers.

“They should load these to facebook and tag the ‘Switched On Innerleithen’ Community Facebook Page and the one with the most ‘likes’ by 5pm on December 18. 2015 will win a prize There is still time to get involved so let us know what you would like to do!”

For more information look out for posters and programmes or contact: innerleithenevents@hotmail.co.uk or the Switched On Innerleithen Community Facebook page.