Businesses in a Suffolk town are uniting to bring “festive cheer” to the community after the cancellation of their Christmas market.

Framlingham will be hosting late night Christmas shopping on Friday, December 2, when traders in the town are also hoping to organise festive celebrations including food, drink and carol singers.

It comes after the Framlingham Business Association (FBA) announced with “great reluctance” last month that it could not go ahead with the regular Christmas market, which has featured in previous years entertainment, stalls and a Santa’s Grotto. The FBA said funding issues were among its reasons.

Daniel Le Sauvage, founder of Urban Vintage, a men’s fashion shop which opened a new branch in the town earlier this year, said he had been speaking to other traders in the town after learning of the market’s cancellation. “When we found out that it wasn’t happening this year, I said ‘why don’t we have our own late night opening?’” he added. “We are trying to bring a little bit of festive cheer and some community spirit.”

Mr Le Sauvage said it was hoped a choir would sing carols under the Christmas tree and Hall Farm Butchers would cook a hog roast, while other businesses would provide mulled wine or other festive drinks.

“Most of the businesses are up for opening, which is great to see,” he added.

Other festive events planned for the coming weeks include the light-up ceremony for the town’s main tree in Market Hill at 3.30pm on Sunday, November 27. The St Elizabeth Hospice – the FBA’s chosen charity for this year – will be holding its Light up a Life service at St Michael’s Church at 4pm, an opportunity for people to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones. Both events are open to everyone and free to attend.

This year’s Framlingham Christmas Tree Festival starts on Saturday, December 3, when St Michael’s Church will be filled with trees decorated along the theme of “Christmas Carols”. Lights will be switched on at 10am after which there will be stalls, refreshments and a choral performance.