Fun packed day will launch shopping centre Christmas Festivities
Date Posted:15/11/2018
Music, Father Christmas parades, carnival dancers and stilt walkers will form the centre piece of a free family fun-packed entertainment day on 17th November when the Yate Shopping Centre Christmas lights will be turned on.
The lights will be switched on at 4.15pm with Father Christmas parades featuring real reindeer at 1pm and 3pm. During the day activities will last from 11am until 5pm with live music from a Michael Buble tribute act, The Fabulous Rock Choir, a jazz band, carnival dancers and stilt walkers.
Santa’s Grotto will open on 18th November and on subsequent weekends until Thursday 13th December and then run continuously until Christmas Eve with an entry fee of £4 including a present. Full details of opening times are available on the Centre’s website.
Andrew Lowrey, Shopping Centre Manager: “The Christmas lights switch on is always the highlight of our run-up to the end of the year and for the traders is a critical period. This promises to be one of the best family fun days we have ever staged and will be a draw to all ages.
“All entertainment is free and there will be free competitions with prizes throughout the day. There will also be a Christmas pop-up shop opening in the Centre for the Christmas period - Calendar Club - occupying one of the very few vacant units in the Centre.
“Whereas the retail sector has experienced a volatile year with national vacancy levels running at about 11%, Yate Shopping Centre has had a stable and successful year with just a handful of vacant units available, less than 5% on average.
“Footfall at the Centre has also shown a positive increase during 2018 - against a national decline - and both the national and independent outlets will be looking to the Christmas period to continue this success”.
