SKIPTON is gearing up for its big Christmas lights switch-on.

The guest of honour at next Thursday’s lights and late night shopping event will be Kaden Christophides, a Year Five pupil at Water Street Primary School.

Kaden won the town-wide competition to design a poster promoting the switch-on.

His prize is to take centre stage next to the co-ordinator of Fairtrade Yorkshire, and turn on the new Christmas lights, funded jointly by Skipton Town Partnership and Skipton Town Council.

Hundreds of entries for the competition came in from the town’s six primary schools. The judging panel included Mary Arber, manager of Skipton Town Partnership; Brett Butler, town centre manager, and some of the Skipton Girls’ High School Fairtrade Group.

“There were so many great posters,” said Mary. “It was really hard to choose just one winner, but in the end we agreed Kaden’s design had the extra Christmas magic we were looking for.”

Gemma Skelton, fromGreatwood Community Primary School, and Jack Thornton, of Parish Church Primary School, were the runners-up.

The organisers are inviting everyone to join Kaden for the big switch-on event, from 5pm to 8pm.

The actual switch-on is at 6pm, but with so much more going on they say people will need the whole evening to enjoy it.

Many local shops are staying open late that night and organisers have devised a fun trail for families to take them round as many as possible.

There will be Fairtrade displays from the schools and Skipton Fairtrade Initiative in Craven Court.

Skipton Community Hub will also be in Craven Court, and have invited Father Christmas to their grand reopening at 6.30pm. Skipton Library will be open until 7pm, running festive family activities.

And Skipton’s newest ‘pop-up’ art gallery, Glow Gallery at High Corn Mill, is holding its preview event that night too, from 5pm to 8pm. The soundtrack to the evening will be provided by Skipton Brass, Skipton Community Orchestra, Glusburn Theatre School, Sheeptown Songsters and other local musicians.