Santa’s Grotto returns on selected dates from 28 November to 24 December. Children can enjoy Christmas crafting before meeting Santa, with a present and sweet treat included. Tickets cost £17 per child, so it’s worth booking your grotto slot early.

You can also get your Christmas tree shopping sorted, with locally sourced trees from Needlefresh available at Dinton Activity Centre at weekends from 21 November. Trees can be pre-ordered online.

The free Festive Fair takes place on the weekend of 5 and 6 December, with gift stalls, festive food and drink, live performances and children’s entertainment.

There’s plenty more happening, including wreath making, the Ho Ho Ho’Down and a Paws & Prints pottery workshop.

Hear from Earley Environmental Group about its self-guided tree tour at Lower Earley Library on Saturday 21 November, from 11am to 12 noon, followed by a chance to ask questions about trees and gardening. The session is free and there’s no need to book.

There are also free tree-themed story times for little ones at Wokingham Library on Tuesday 24 November at 4pm and Woodley Library on Wednesday 25 November at 10am. Just drop in.

On Thursday 26 November, from 6pm to 6.45pm, local volunteer Tree Wardens will be at Wokingham Library sharing the stories behind some of the borough’s oldest trees. The event is free, but booking is required.

Children can get involved too by creating artwork using leaves, twigs and other natural materials for the chance to win a small tree. Email a photo of the finished artwork, including the child’s name and age by 6 December. 

The town centre will be transformed on Sunday 29 November, with street entertainment, music, dancing, funfair rides and plenty of food and drink from 10.30am to 5.30pm.

There will also be stalls selling gifts if you want to get some Christmas shopping done, while Father Christmas will be in his grotto. Tickets for the grotto are due to go on sale around two weeks before the event.

The event, organised by Wokingham Lions, raises money for local charities. Peach Street, Rose Street and Broad Street will be closed to traffic from 6am to 9pm.

If you need some extra support while you're visiting the Carnival, there are also Safe Places throughout the town centre, including Places Leisure, Honesty Cafe and Clarks. Staff can offer a quiet place to wait, help with directions or contact someone you trust if you feel lost, anxious or unsafe.

There will be plenty of opportunities to get some Christmas shopping done, with handmade gifts, Christmas jumpers, decorations and stocking fillers. Visitors can also enjoy festive music, mulled wine and mince pies.

Children can decorate gingerbread for £2 or visit Santa’s Grotto for £5, and entry to the market is free.

The event brings together eight charities, including The Cowshed, Dingley’s Promise, Building for the Future, Kaleidoscopic UK and Promise Inclusion, with purchases helping to support their work in the local community.

Whether you’re a keen gardener, baker, photographer or crafter, Wokingham Horticultural Society’s Winter Show is open to everyone.

Head to St Paul’s Parish Rooms on Saturday 21 November, where exhibits will include flowers, fruit and vegetables, baking and preserves, handicrafts, photography and flower arranging. 

You can enter whether you’re an experienced exhibitor or trying it for the first time, with novice and young exhibitor classes available too.

The show is open to visitors from 2pm to 4pm, with admission costing £2 and children going free.

Christmas decorations created by children from local schools will be presented to the Wokingham Town Mayor on Monday 7 December.

Head to Market Place at 6pm to see the decorations being presented, accompanied by Christmas music from St Sebastian Wokingham Band. Everyone is welcome to come along, with the decorations set to take pride of place on the town’s Christmas tree later that week.

Meanwhile, the switching on of the Christmas lights in Woodley will be held on Saturday 28 November. This will be held from 4.30pm to 5.30pm in the precinct, with carol singing to enjoy.