AFTER the fun and excitement of last week's Oxford Christmas Light Festival, the rest of the county is preparing to start their own festive celebrations this weekend.

Kicking off the festivities will be Didcot tonight, with the town hosting their annual Christmas Fair in Broadway.

This year the theme will the Tudors, with visitors expected to turn up in full period attire for the switch-on this evening. 

Christmas lights will also be turned on in Witney, where town mayor Jim King will be joined by Father Christmas to do the honours in Market Square tomorrow night.

The lights will come on at at 6.30pm, but a Santa sleigh and fun fair will be on from 5.30pm until 8pm.

As usual Banbury's Christmas lights will have a celebrity flavour with a visit from X Factor winner Sam Bailey on Sunday.

Mrs Bailey, who won the reality television show in 2013, will provide the back-drop to the festivities by performing some of her greatest hits outside the Town Hall in Bridge Street.

She will be joined on stage by Beyoncé tribute act Victoria, Banbury's rock choir and local band The Next Hot Thing.

Abingdon and Woodstock will also be holding day-long extravaganzas on Saturday.

In Abingdon Bath Street and Market Place will feature donkeys and Punch and Judy, with the main switch-on from 5.30pm.

And in Woodstock, the town's A Night of a Thousand Candles event will take place from 6pm in Market Square, including the lights switch-on.

Switch-ons will also be held in Blackbird Leys, on December 2 from 6pm, in Bicester on December 4 from 7pm, and a Dickensian evening will bring in the festive period in Wantage on December 4.