Billed as the highlight of this year’s two-day festival event – on November 29 and 30 – the state-of-the-art synthetic skating rink will be set up in new event space in Colquhoun Square.

The synthetic rinks provide a realistic skating experience, with the technology used at major events at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and at London’s O2 Arena. As well as the ice rink there will be a full size market on both days featuring farmers market and local traders and crafters; children’s characters; face painting; street food; a coconut shy; and the Victorian chair o’planes.

Santa will be on duty on both days in a specially created grotto at the Buffet Shop; the Helensburgh Skate Park team will be doing short displays; and on Sunday the square will again be home to some live reindeer.

The popular annual Santa Dash organised by the Helensburgh Round Table will be held on the Sunday starting at noon and it is expected that the Square will once again be filled by up to 400 Santas of all shapes and sizes.

The square will be open for business from 10am until about 5pm on the Saturday and from noon till 5pm on Sunday when the festival will be brought to a close with a pipe band parade and fireworks on the seafront.

Late-night opening events are planned for the festival and in the run up to Christmas and as usual the festive season will begin the week before on November 21 with the now traditional Festival of Lights.

A parade of sleighs will travel from the Victoria Halls to the square for the official switch on of the town’s Christmas lights. The parade will leave at 6pm.

The following day there will be a Festive Food and Craft Fair in the Victoria Halls from 9.30am-4pm and on Sunday, November 22 a Christmas dance show by the Margaret Rose School of Dance will take place at 1.30pm in the Victoria Halls.

Work is progressing on a wide range of other events and details will be revealed on the festival facebook page and the website at www.helensburghwinterfestival.co.uk If anyone would like to take a stall for the two day fair at £30 for the two days they should email Fiona Howard at fiona@letspromoteukltd.co.uk.