TONIGHT is the night as Weymouth gets ready to make the town's ninth Victorian Shownight the best yet.

Thousands of people from across the county are expected to throng the streets for the annual Christmas shopping extravaganza.

The town centre will come alive with music and shoppers will be able to sample traditional festive treats like mulled wine and roasted chestnuts.

Stalls will line the streets heaped with presents, food and crafts and the star of the show, Father Christmas, will kick off the evening bonanza by arriving at Debenhams in an RAF armoured personnel carrier decked out in arctic camouflage.

Once Santa has landed, he will be escorted to the land train to join special guest Mr Jelly Belly and ITV's Lizzie McPhee, the star of this year's panto Peter Pan, for the trip to Brewers Quay.

The Echo-backed event, which will run from 4pm to 10pm, will see people dress up in Victorian costume, bands and choirs singing in the streets, dancing and fairground attractions.

The programme of events includes a Victorian juggler, slack-rope walker, Weymouth Concert Brass, African drummers from Budmouth Technology College and entertainer Billy Busker.

More than two dozen charity stalls will be selling different gifts and one of the main charities to benefit from the shopping extravaganza will be Trimar Hospice.

The evening closes with a prize draw, prize-giving and grand finale of costumed people entertaining crowds outside Debenhams. There will be free car parking in most of the town car parks including the Swannery, Park Street, Melcombe Regis, Harbourside, Governors Lane, the Loop and the council offices.

But people are being urged to remember that a number of roads will be closed in the town until midnight tonight.

St Thomas Street from Westham Road to St Alban Street will be closed and, from 4pm to midnight, between St Alban Street and St Edmund Street.

Lower St Alban Street from St Nicholas Street to St Thomas Street will be closed from 4pm to midnight.

Other closures until midnight include St Mary Street from Kings Statute to the St Edmund Street junction, St Thomas Street from Kings Statue to St Edmund Street junction and Maiden Street from Market Street junction to Upper Bond Street.

Upper Bond Street, Great George Street from School Street to Westham Road, School Street, New Street and St Alban Street from St Mary Street to East Street will also be closed to traffic.