PEOPLE power has ensured Pembroke Dock’s annual lantern parade goes ahead.

Community activist Liz Cook, also treasurer of Pennar Hall, said: “When I heard that the lantern parade was not happening in Pembroke Dock this year, I put out a plea on Facebook for help in organising it, and after two meetings with the council and community and it's all planned and ready to go, the parade being solely organised by the community.”

The event is financed by the Pembroke Dock Festival Group, which was awarded money from the town council to deliver this year's parade. The committee is working closely with the town council staff to promote the event.

Sand Palace Arts is providing the creative input by running lantern making workshops to the Pembroke Dock Girl Guides, Brownies, Cubs, Scouts, Messy Church, and Pennar Art Club.

The theme is woodland in winter and will feature giant lanterns of woodland animals.

A free community lantern making workshop, open to all ages and community members, is taking place over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday November 25 and 26 from 10-4pm each day, in the Youth Centre, Bush Street.

The parade will take place on December 1 and doors of the youth centre will be open at 5pm for people to collect their lanterns and gather for the parade.

Samba Doc will be leading the parade, starting from the youth centre at 6pm. The parade will cross the road into Memorial Park and will parade around the peripheral pathways of the park, culminating at the park gates with the clock above on Bush Street.

Pembrokeshire Fire Spinners will then do a performance on the big grass area in the park; and to end the parade, Fusion Community Choir will then lead a Christmas sing-a-long.

The town council will then offer free hot dogs and hot chocolate after the event, location to be decided.

The parade has its own Facebook page, Lanterns in the Park.