A Christmas fair in Clevedon will not go ahead this year for the first time in more than a decade, because the traders' group that organised it has disbanded.

For the past 15 years, the Hill Road Traders' Association (HRTA) has organised a St Nicholas Fair that takes place on the first Thursday of December.

The event attracts thousands of visitors to the popular shopping area, with charity stalls lining the streets and shops staying open late into the evening.

But the event has been cancelled this year after the HRTA disbanded at its AGM in September.

Organisers said that, as well as problems with recruiting volunteers, the bad weather in previous years had also deterred charities from supporting the event and setting up along the street on the night.

Former HRTA chairman, Bob Hughes, who runs Gems in Hill Road with wife Juanita, said: "It is very disappointing that for the first time in 15 years, the St Nicholas Fair will not happen. The problem is that the event falls at a time when traders are especially busy and, following the decision to disband the traders' association, we could just not find the people to organise it.

"We have suffered poor weather at previous events and this has an impact on the success of the evening."

Although this year's event is not going ahead, a new group of traders has taken up the challenge of reviving the fair. They are looking to organise a special late-night shopping event next year on the night the fair was due to go ahead – December 4.

Trader Jane Brake, who runs Estuary and Pale Blue in Hill Road, said: "Because the weather has been so bad at recent events, the number of charity stalls taking part has declined by about 40 per cent.

"A new group of traders has now been launched and within the group there are enough volunteers to carry the fair forward.

"However, this year we are taking the opportunity to rest and re-evaluate the event, and see if we want to do it again next year, but in a different format.

"It may be that we take the event right back to its Victorian roots – with apple bobbing and hot chestnuts – and make it more traditional, or hold something in the summer where the whole community can be involved."

The news that the fair has been cancelled comes at the same time that it was revealed Hill Road will once again have no official Christmas lights this year.

HRTA was forced to take down the strings of lights across the road four years ago after problems with health and safety. Although the association has been working with Clevedon Town Council to restore lights in the area, a scheme has yet to come forward.

Traders in the street will be putting up their own lighting displays to turn Hill Road into a winter wonderland.

Each store will have two decorated trees outside their premises to get shoppers into the festive spirit.

This year will also see the return of the free, horse-drawn carriage rides starting in mid-November from Clevedon Pier to Hill Road.