One of Santa’s elves has revealed the extended festive footprint for the Aberdeen Christmas Village.
Organised in partnership by Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council and Codona’s, this year the winter wonderland attraction will return to Broad Street on November 22 and extend along Upperkirkgate for the first time.
Youngsters are bound to be delighted by the introduction of the Santa Express and Santa’s Grotto, while the longest temporary ice-rink ever installed in the North-east will form the centrepiece of the festive fun.
Candy cane bungee trampolines and spinning bumper cars will also be introduced for the first time, while thrill seekers can test their nerve on major new attractions the Freak-Out and at more than 50m tall, the slingshot style bungee ride, Snowball.
Organisers are delighted to present a new version of the Christmas Market for 2018, with a wide range of locally produced crafts, arts and gifts, along with gourmet food and drink available from open-air festive wooden cabins in Marischal College Quad. With a unique offering each weekend, the market will showcase both new and established brands, supporting fantastic local North-east businesses.
Community will be at the heart of the entertainment at the festive attraction, with a designated community stage giving local schools, choirs, churches and other local groups the opportunity to use the space.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “Now in its fourth year, we are pleased to reveal the partners plans for the 2018 Aberdeen Christmas Village. The attraction has grown since it was first established and based on feedback last year, it was warmly received by the overwhelming majority who visited it. As ever, we hope to continue to build on this and work closely with local businesses in the vicinity.
“This year has been a transformative one for our city, with Aberdeen Inspired bringing the second globally acclaimed Nuart Aberdeen street art festival in April, the Painted Doors project and of course, our ongoing Aberdeen Comedy Festival, which comes to a close on Saturday.
“With the introduction of our Alive After Five campaign, which aims to celebrate the diverse and vibrant evening and night time economy Aberdeen City Centre provides, we hope to have made it even easier for people to enjoy the festive atmosphere this year.”
Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said: “The Christmas Village will be a focal point for the festive celebrations and Aberdeen City Council is pleased to be continuing its support, both in terms of the investment we make through Aberdeen Inspired and in hosting the village on the new Broad Street event space.
“It will also be fantastic to see the Christmas market back in the Marischal College quad and with lots of new additions, including Santa’s Grotto, there will be something for everyone.
“The introduction of free evening parking through our Alive@Five initiative is a welcome boost as the build-up to Christmas begins and we would encourage everyone to take the opportunity to sample all that the Christmas Village has to offer.”
Alfred Codona, director of Aberdeen-based family amusement firm Codona’s added: “We are really excited to be bringing our strongest line up of family and thrill rides to the Christmas Village this year. We feel the rides, the ice-rink, the food and drinks stalls, Marischal Collage and Broad St Markets, coupled with such a strong emphasis on supporting local and providing quality local produce will mean we have the best Aberdeen Christmas Village yet.”
