WITH less than four months until Christmas, plans are well underway to make sure the town centre gets into the festive spirit.

A call has gone out to local traders and businesses who want to be a part of this year’s local market as organisers aim to expand on the previous event.

The market will open from December 4 and run for 17 days, coinciding with the late night shopping period.

As with last year, chalets will be available to hire for either all of the period or just for a few weeks.

The market is organised and run by inSwindon, which is responsible for the town centre, and organisers say they want to make Swindon’s market unique in what is on offer to shoppers.

“We want to build upon last year’s market and offer a wide range of unique Christmas gifts, garden sculptures, jewellery, stocking fillers, homemade preserves and much, much more” said Di Powell, office manager for inSwindon.

“Markets are truly magical around this time; bringing a traditional feel to the town amidst a time of joy and cheer as the build up to Christmas is well underway. The illuminated chalets look fabulous in the darkened winter evenings, where shoppers fill the town centre searching for the perfect gifts for their loved ones.”

The Swindon Christmas market has had a troubled couple of years. In 2012 it was cancelled with short notice following problems over the licence. Rules surrounding the running of markets were changed in time for a Christmas event but this left inSwindon with only a short time to pull everything together.

Speaking last year, inSwindon bid manager Rebecca Rowland said it was important to aim higher and there were improvements which could be made.

She said: “I honestly believe we can do much better so we have started talks on making next year’s event much more in common with what is seen in bigger towns and cities.”

If any business or local trader is interested in hiring a stall and would like any further information they can contact dpowell@inswindon.com for further details.