COME and take a Walk In An Otley Wonderland is the message being spread by the market town as it readies for the 2024 Christmas season with the release of this year's annual Christmas film and song.

Walking In An Otley Wonderland takes a longstanding favourite Christmas classic with an Otley twist added by Sam Stevens of local restaurant Tapas and Tunes who both wrote the new lyric and performs the song.

The film sees 43 of the town's businesses and community organisations joining in the fun message and heading towards Otley's historic Market Place for a flashmob-style finale choreographed by Beth Roberts, owner and principal of local dance troupe Inspirations Dance.

With a cast of more than 100 people, featuring 43 different business and community organisations and various members of the public, the film is the town's most ambitious film to date. Those taking part in the final scene were tasked with learning the dance steps and performing in a little over 30 minutes.

As with previous editions of the Otley Christmas film, Walking In An Otley Wonderland was co-produced by Otley's tourism marketing agency Endure Communications and Menston-based specialist video production company MCharMedia.

Otley's Christmas song is now in its eighth year and is a well-established fixture of the festive calendar. For the first time this year it will be available to watch on Otley's new YouTube channel.

The film comes with an associated competition to win £100 courtesy of Otley BID. Members of the public will be asked to identify and tag as many of the businesses and community organisations as possible in a dedicated Facebook post on the Visit Otley site. The competition will run from the film's public release date on November 29th until December 12th.

Chair of Otley's Trade & Tourism Committee Paul Carter said: "This year we wanted to spread an extra sprinkle of joy with the Christmas film. It's great to see so many smiley faces taking part and joining in with the fun – a real indication of how Otley's community pulls together and joins in celebrations in the town with great gusto. We hope it will encourage more and more people to visit Yorkshire's Christmas town this year.

Chair of Otley BID Katie Burnett said: "We are delighted to once again have supported this year's film and associated competition. Walking In An Otley Wonderland is a joyous celebration of everything Otley, with the added bonus of offering support to our incredible business community who embrace the chance to appear on film."

Otley's businesses are further supported this Christmas with two Super Sundays where many businesses who would not traditionally be open are extending their trading hours to provide extra shopping opportunities, while charges on the town's car parks are suspended on Saturdays throughout December.

The Super Sundays will be held on December 1st (Victorian Fayre day) and December 22nd (the last Farmers' Market of the year).

View the film Otley's new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAzQzZWnPpo