Forget the seasonal John Lewis advert and Slade playing in supermarkets…the festive season will really get underway at the Tottenham Winter Festival on December 2.

The annual event on Tottenham Green will see a mouth-watering variety of stalls alongside festive, family friendly entertainment and the official Christmas tree lights switch on led by Spurs legend Ledley King.

This year’s community celebration, organised by Tottenham Green Market and Haringey Council, will also coincide with an Etsy Made Local Tottenham event that will see Tottenham Town Hall packed with craft stalls offering plenty of present-buying-opportunities.

“This day will start the Christmas season for you,” said Tom Fowkes, musical director of the New Tottenham Singers which will be performing at the event. “It’s a wonderful, positive event for people to come to where you can meet neighbours and friends, enjoy a glass of mulled wine and some food and hear some lovely singing. We’ll be singing some festive favourites and giving folk a sneak preview of what’s coming up at our annual Christmas concert.”

Other entertainment includes: a ten-piece Afrobeat band, the Haringey Young Musicians Junior Choir, a brass band called Brunk!, a funky Colombian-influenced band and a ‘panto medley’ from the Musical Theatre Academy (MTA) based a few metres away in the Bernie Grant Arts Centre.

“This year our panto is Mother Goose so people will enjoy a medley of songs from this as well as a special Christmas medley,” said MTA’s principal, Annemarie Lewis Thomas. “It’s important for us to be involved in community events such as this and you can either sit at home and be miserable or come along and see some of the stars of tomorrow provide a bit of feel-good!”

Tottenham Green Market stalls will boast a variety of international street food as well as showcasing some of Tottenham’s finest including: Prestige Patisserie (adding a Christmas Cake Shop and mulled wine to their regular treats), honey from Tottenham Marshes, beer from Brewheadz and hot drinks courtesy of Craving Coffee.

Tottenham Etsy Made Local organiser ‘Crafty North Londoner’ aka Nonia Jeroh, said: “We will have over 35 stalls and over 60% of them are Tottenham vendors. “it will be a great opportunity for people to do some Christmas shopping and buy homemade items made with love. These aren’t mass produced but objects made on someone’s kitchen table or in a studio and it promises to be a great family day out.”

Haringey Council will support the festivities by offering free parking in council-run car parks and pay by phone bays.

• The Tottenham Winter Festival will run from 12-6pm, with the lights switch on at around 5pm. www.tottenhamgreenmarket.co.uk
• The Tottenham Etsy Made Local event will run from 11.30am-4.30pm
• The New Tottenham Singers will perform their Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 16 at St Mary’s Church in Lansdowne Road www.tottenhamsingers.com
• The Musical Theatre Academy will perform Mother Goose at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre from December 13 – December 20 www.themta.co.uk www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk