The yuletide spirit gets going at Archway this weekend with a Christmas lights switch-on and two days of seasonal fun and games.

The illuminations will be turned on by Anais Higgins, a pupil from St John’s Upper Holloway Primary School, in Pemberton Gardens, who won a Christmas poster design competition, along with Cllr Catherine West, leader of Islington Council and Cllr Phil Kelly, Mayor of Islington, on Friday, with events between 3.30 and 5.30pm.

Father Christmas will be at the event, as will the Jackson’s Youth Circus and there will also be carol singing, live music and other festive treats.

Children from St John’s and Hargrave Park primary schools will also lead a lantern procession from 3.15pm.

Then on Saturday from noon to 4pm, the cast of the special Christmas show The Enormous Turnip will perform, and there will be face-painting, decoration-making, balloon-modelling, magic and much more.