I went to the grand opening of the Blackpool's Christmas By The Sea event and I cannot wait to go back

The resort’s festive season has officially started with the first day of the Christmas By The Sea on the North Shore prom - and I was there for the big launch.

As a reporter I had been waiting all day to go to this Christmas event, and seeing the huts and rides close up only added to excitement.

So I walked down to the Promenade to see what was on offer and was greeted by what looked like an entire village on the Promenade with lights and stalls everywhere.

I had been to Christmas events and markets in Leeds and Manchester, and I was very keen to see what Christmas events were like in Blackpool.

There was a good, cheery atmosphere on the Promenade as everyone crowded around the small stage to watch the performance and witness the event's official opening.

There were some amazing performances from the Scream Theatre School, who wowed the crowds by singing a range of incredible songs, including A Million Dreams from the Greatest Showman film, Last Christmas. Everyone seemed happy despite the less-than-ideal weather in Blackpool.

There was an ice performance from the Blackpool Ice Drome Charity Association of Snow White, which I found very impressive, as the most exciting thing I had managed to do on ice skates was fall over!

I particularly enjoyed seeing some stars from Strictly Come Dancing take the stage to officially open the Blackpool By The Sea event.

I loved the countdown to pull the famous switch used for the illuminations. The stars were Nancy Xu, Kai Widdrington, Neil Jones and Carlos Gu.

After the show, I tried some of the amazing food on offer - the kind of treats that always seem to make Christmas markets so special.

I found a Belgian waffle stall, and just had to buy one. I had a hot Belgian waffle covered in chocolate sauce and Smarties.

It was terrific, and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone with a sweet tooth like mine.

Since it was a Friday night, I thought I would treat myself to a pint and went to the bar.

It was rammed with people, with every table and seat taken, and a lovely, cheery atmosphere was inside. I saw that there was live music setting up inside as well.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay long enough to hear the music, but I will definitely be back. The bar was also decorated with loads of Santas, lights, and Holly; it looked fantastic.

Blackpool really is in for a festive treat with this year’s Christmas by the Sea.