THIS weekend will sees thousands of people descend into a village in West Somerset for one of the South West's top winter events.

Dunster by Candlelight draws crowds from far and wide to the medieval village near Minehead for two nights when the village is bathed in candlelight and the streets filled with entertainment.

The perfect start to the festive period, there will be a lantern parade, plenty of Christmas Carols, stalls and shops selling festive treats including mulled wine and hot chestnuts.

The traditional event is also a great fundraiser for St Margaret's Hospice - with £7,000 being handed over following the 2016 event, and organisers hope to top that this year.

Pupils from Dunster Primary School and Minehead's Foxes Academy have made lanterns in school which will be paraded as part of the main lantern procession which takes place at 6.30pm on the Friday night to get the festivities underway. The Exe Valley Choir and Minehead Choral will be there, as will recorder group Talholme and an acapella group called Dynamix. On Saturday the Sutton Household soldiers bring their flaming torches up West Street through Church Street arriving in the High Street at about 7pm. Dunster Castle will also be illuminated and has events going on as part of the festivities.