A scaled-down version of the town’s annual Christmas Festival, taking account of ongoing pandemic safety measures, was due to be staged on Saturday afternoon featuring a programme of entertainment in Centenary Square.
But town mayor Councillor Austin Cheminais, who also chairs the Christmas Festival Committee, said this morning: "In view of the really bad weather forecast we have very reluctantly decided to cancel the event.
"I've been checking with a number of weather forecasts and they all predict very high winds. In fact, the Met Office is forecasting gusts up to 54mph and the gazebo in which the entertainment programme was to be staged just couldn't have coped with that.
"There was also a major question mark over whether the firework display which was to round off the afternoon could have gone ahead in these conditions."
He added: "We're really sorry to cancel but we've done it just to keep everybody safe.
"We will perhaps organise a post-Christmas event but of course we will let everyone know about that."
Latest information from the festival committee is that the Christmas lights will be turned on around 5pm tomorrow but without the usual ceremony.
* Once again this year the festival committee is hosting its popular Christmas Scarecrow Trail.
Throughout December they are encouraging people to come up with some creative and colourful entries.
It was held last year and even during the pandemic it managed to attract over 50 inventive entries from all parts of the town.
Cllr Cheminais said: "I knew of 40 locations on the list and there were a lot more out there that I didn't know about.
"I’m hoping to get even more this year as I know how incredibly creative Llangollen people are.
"Santa and his elves will judge the competition in the week leading up to Christmas, and there are two main prizes of £25 plus five runners-up prizes of £10.
"People can help choose the winner by sending a picture of their favourite to: santa@btinternet.com."
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