The Saints' Christmas Fair has become one of the most popular events to mark the start of the festive season in Ipswich - and this year it has given the town a real boost.
Perfect weather for early Christmas shopping and a wide variety of stalls as well as some of the finest independent stores in the town combined to pull in the crowds.
Shop owner Cathy Frost is also a councillor and she watched shoppers flock to the area with borough leader Neil MacDonald.
Mrs Frost said the weather was perfect - and hoped the event would really kick-start the Christmas season for traders.
"It's cold, dry and still - just what we want to get people to come out and visit us. It's very important that people do get out and use their local shops.
"It's not just about spending money, although that is important. It's also about sharing the experience, meeting people, having a chat. It's all very good for your mental health."
Mr MacDonald agreed that the social nature of the event was important in bringing people out to the town centre.
He said: "It's very important to attract shoppers to the town centre and to get them to use what we have here. This is very important to that."
Mayor Lynne Mortimer and her husband James Hayward were among those browsing the stalls and contemplating some early Christmas gifts.
But with several food and drink stalls doing a roaring trade, quite a lot of purchases seemed unlikely to remain intact by Sunday lunchtime, let alone Christmas Day!
Mrs Frost also said that while Sunday's event was a great success, all the independent traders would be hoping its momentum continued throughout the next few weeks.
Next weekend is Small Business Saturday when independent traders across the country will be working hard to try to attract shoppers and boost their festive sales.
And it was clear shoppers hadn't simply headed towards the town centre to visit the Saints, the main shopping street in town was also starting to fill with Christmas shoppers.
That is good news for both the borough and the businesses themselves - a point not lost on Mr MacDonald.
He said: "It's good to see the town centre starting to fill and I'm pleased to hear that the opening of a new Marks and Spencer in Stowmarket should not affect our town centre store."
The weekend events came just two days after the town's Christmas lights were switched on and the Christmas Tree was fully decorated all lending a real festive feel to central Ipswich.
There is late-night shopping every Thursday until December 21 and a number of special events are planned to bring added entertainment for shoppers.
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