The popular Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre is set to be a three-and-a-half day event again this year.

The fair, which takes place across the town centre, was extended to include the Thursday for the first time last year. By opening on the Thursday, there was an evening of entertainment for the community, and there were an extra 8,500 people in the town on that day.

Mark Cordell, chief executive of Ourburystedmunds, the town centre Business Improvement District (BID) group, had been hoping the fair would open again on the Thursday due to last year’s success.

Following a Bury Christmas Fayre planning meeting earlier in the week, Sharon Fairweather, who organises the event, said: “It’s still very early on. We will have the three-and-a-half days again and will be starting on the Thursday with a locals’ evening again designed for residents to come along. There will be special offers on the fairground rides and there will be a children’s parade – and if any schools want to get involved, let me know.”

She said the hope was for a “bigger and better” parade this year, adding the plan was to have a puppet-making workshop for the children again.

The dates for this year’s fair are Thursday, November 27, to Sunday, November 30.

Miss Fairweather said: “The Thursday was very much new for 2013, but it did go well and we like the idea of trying to give something back to the community.”

She added 200 stallholders were on a waiting list for the fair after requesting information, which is a number that has increased every year.

She said some of the stallholders had been at the event, which is now in its 11th year, ever since it began.

There will be stages at the Arc shopping centre and on Angel Hill, and the Abbey Gardens would be used to its full potential, Miss Fairweather added.

The park and ride service, just off the A14 at Saxham Business Park, is also continuing this year.

Miss Fairweather said she was open to new ideas at all the time about the fair.

To get in contact with her, email Sharon.Fairweather@westsuffolk.gov.uk