Dudley Council is offering four people the chance to help switch the Christmas lights on in their town, by guessing where the authorities’ resident elves are.

Council chiefs will be running four separate competitions on Facebook - the winner of each, or their child, will be pressing the big button to illuminate either Dudley, Stourbridge, Halesowen or Brierley Hill at the big Christmas lights switch-ons this year.

Eric and Erica, the council’s resident Christmas elves, have been snapped out and about in the four town centres. The pictures will be uploaded to the local authority’s Facebook page in the week leading up to each event. To be in with a chance of winning, all people will have to do is like and share the post, and comment where they think the elves are.

Winners will be drawn at random and will be able to either switch the lights on themselves, or nominate a younger family member. Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for planning and economic development, said:

“We’ve got fun-packed family days planned in each of our four towns to celebrate switching on the Christmas lights and formally starting the festive season. We would urge people to come along and to enter the competition – it’s a great opportunity to play a starring role in a fantastic event.”

The first Christmas lights switch-on event will be in Halesowen on Saturday November 18th in Somers Square from 9am to 5pm. The Facebook competition for Halesowen will start on Friday November 10, with a new picture uploaded each day until a winner is announced on Thursday November 16.

The winner will be switching on the lights at Halesowen alongside pop group New Dynamixx, who reached Six Chair Challenge in this year’s X Factor, and Black Country Radio's Matt Dudley and Dan Richards. Organised in conjunction with Halesowen Chamber of Commerce, there will also be a Christmas market, a street food and drinks fair, free vintage children’s rides, face painting and the chance to meet Santa. Car parking on the day will be free.

The following week, on Saturday November 25, the lights will be switched on in Stourbridge, with a day of entertainment along the High Street from 11am to 5pm. The Facebook competition will start on Friday November 17, with a new picture every day until the winner is revealed on Thursday November 23.

Organised in conjunction with Stourbridge and District Chamber of Trade, and centred around Crown Square, there will be a Christmas market, children’s rides, live entertainment and face painting.

On Saturday December 2, the Market Place and Stone Street Square will play host to the big lights switch on in Dudley town centre, with entertainment from 11am to 5pm. The event in Brierley Hill will centre around the Moor Centre from 11am to 5pm on Saturday December 9.

The Facebook competition for Dudley will start on Friday November 24, with a new picture each day until the winner is announced on Thursday November 30, with the Brierley Hill one starting on Friday December 1 and running until Thursday December 7.

There will be a Christmas market at Dudley, while there will be children’s rides, a Santa’s grotto and live entertainment at both the Dudley and Brierley Hill switch-ons. The Dudley event is organised in conjunction with Tudor Markets.

Car parking will be free on council car parks in the four towns on light switch on days.