THE organisers of the annual Monmouth Christmas Lantern Parade will be looking to lighten the gloom caused by the recent floods this Friday night (December 5) – starting beside Monnow Bridge where the waters were at their highest before proceeding up the high street to Agincourt Square.

And if you still have energy to burn, why not join Spirit of Monmouth's annual Santa Fun Run two days later (Sunday, December 7)?

Organised in conjunction with Monmouth Town Council with support from Wye Valley River Festival, the lantern parade posted: "In the wake of the heartbreaking floods that have devastated our community, we are more determined than ever to bring some much-needed light to Monmouth.

"The Monmouth Christmas Lantern Parade will still take place on Friday, December 5th.

"We invite everyone to gather from 5.45pm at the Old Monnow Bridge – an area that has only just emerged from the high waters.

"Our town has endured so much, and now, we have an even bigger, more emotional reason to come together, support one another, and make Monmouth "shine with lanterns" as a symbol of our resilience and community spirit.

"We understand that the community is still recovering from the devastating floods, and it will take some time for things to return to normal.

"We sincerely hope that proceeding with the lantern parade won't cause offense during this sensitive period.

"Our intention is to unite the community, celebrate the incredible spirit we share, and offer hope for the future."

The parade itself will set off at 6.30pm and will be led up to the Shire Hall by Father Christmas.

This time the theme is The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast, and the sky will be full of shining butterflies, beetles, wings and flowers.

Organisers hope the community event will give people a positive chance to be a part of something which they can cherish as they start to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Lantern-making workshops have been taking place at the Shire Hall and Haberdashers' Monmouth's sports hall, with more details available at https://www.facebook.com/monmouthlanternparade.

And for those with energy to burn who fancy a festive trot, the Monmouth Santa Fun Run gets under starters' orders at 10am on Sunday, December 7, also at the historic Monnow Bridge.

That's the event's usual starting point, but for the second year running it will head round Chippenham playing fields owing to the much-delayed repairs to the Vauxhall Inglis Bridge.

Organisers posted last week: "Santa’s elves were out this morning checking the course for this year’s Santa Fun Run.

"We decided the run will go ahead, but the course may differ, depending on how slippery the footpath is around Chippenham Field.

"The safety of our entrants is paramount. The run will start on the old Monnow Bridge at 10am on Sunday.

"Please note this is a cash only event.

"Thank you all for supporting us and helping to raise much needed funds for Bridges Quest Busters group who supply activities for children with special needs."

Entry forms to print off are available at https://www.facebook.com/MonmouthSantaFunRun