Christmas has arrived at Drake Circus

Christmas has officially arrived at Drake Circus with the switch on of its festive lights and the announcement of its seasonal celebrations which includes six weekends of fun.

Every weekend from Saturday 19th November until Christmas, festive characters will be popping up at the centre to sprinkle some Christmas cheer.

This includes visits from one of the most iconic Christmas characters around, The Grinch, who will be causing plenty of mischief and mayhem alongside Cindy Lou.

There will also be appearances from Frosty the Unicorn and wandering Christmas Trees who will be roaming the centre and spreading festive cheer.

Visitors will also be able to meet Santa’s elves who will be performing some of the North Pole’s finest magic and acrobatic tricks, and there will even be a visit from Santa himself with him showing off and teaching kids his best soccer skills during the World Cup.

The centre’s Old Town Street entrance will also be transformed into a Winter Wonderland everyday through to Christmas Eve, with snow falling every day at 4pm for 10 minutes.

And shoppers can snap a Christmas selfie inside one the Selfie Baubles around the centre to share on social with the hashtag #DrakeCircusChristmas.

Greg Lumley, centre director at Drake Circus, said: “We know that this Christmas might be more difficult for many, so we’re doing what we can to make this year extra special.

“We’re so excited to launch our range of activities and festive character visits – all of which are free of charge – to help spread Christmas cheer to as many people as possible in the local community.”

Visitors can also enjoy festive late-night Thursdays with stores open until 8pm, and more than 30 retailers open even later until 9pm for late-night shopping in the lead up to Christmas, as well as discounted parking at The Barcode for £2.50 if arriving after 5pm.

Plan your festive day out at Drake Circus and The Barcode and find a full list of stores and restaurants, by visiting: https://www.drakecircus.com/christmas.