A FESTIVAL of light will be the centrepiece of this weekend’s festivities across East Lancashire.

Blackburn will host the event, which includes a carol concert, lantern parade and firework display, for the second year running tomorrow.

It will start with a community carol concert at Blackburn Cathedral from 3.30pm before the lantern parade begins on Ainsworth Street at 5pm.

The procession will walk around a circular route along Exchange Street past The Bureau Centre for the Arts and then along King William Street to Sudell Cross.

It will then continue around Blakey Moor and Northgate, ending outside the town hall for a street party. The parade will conclude with music, light-up performances, projections and a fireworks display.

The festivities will continue in other parts of East Lancashire, including two carol concerts in Darwen.

The first will be held by the Whitehall Support Group at Whitehall Park Rose Garden tomorrow from 4pm to 7pm.

The second will be held at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, hosted by Walk This Way choir. Darwen Brass Band will perform as special guests at the Sudell Road venue from 7.30pm, with tickets costing £8.

The Bon Jovi Experience, a tribute band to the American rock group, will be taking to the stage at King George’s Hall, Blackburn tomorrow night. The band, which has performed with Jon Bon Jovi himself, will start their performance at 7pm and tickets will be priced at £25.50.

In Clayton-le-Moors, a snowball-themed Christmas party will take place at Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa, on Blackburn Road. It will include a light buffet and interactive DJ and disco set.

In Colne, the Clitheroe Ukulele Orchestra and Nelson Civic Ladies Choir will perform as part of A Feast of Christmas concert at The Muni Theatre on Sunday. It will take place at the Albert Road theatre from 2.30pm and tickets will cost £7.

People will still be able to do enjoy the Blackburn Christmas Markets on Cathedral Quarter this weekend, which will remain in the town centre until December 23.