There are a host of magical Christmas events in North Wales which guarantee to get you into the festive spirit this year:
Get Crafty:
- Bodnant Garden’s Christmas Elves will be craft making every weekend from Saturday 30 November until Sunday 22 December, 11am to 2.30pm so why not give them a hand and make something yourself to take home.
- Create your own Christmas Wreath in The Imperial Hotel’s own fun workshop with award winning floral designer, Sarah Hudson from Scent with Love on Thursday 5 December. Event includes all wreath making material and Festive Afternoon Tea with proceeds going to St David’s Hospice.
- Get wrapped up warm and join RSPB Nature Reserve in Conwy as they gather round the campfire for a story, followed by some Christmas crafts and festive fun on Saturday 21 December. This event is suitable for children aged 3-8 years.
Visit Father Christmas:
- Have a fun day at the RSPB Nature Reserve in Conwy with its Nature’s Christmas and Search for Santa event on Sunday 1 December. Activities include toasting marshmallows, browsing stalls, making Christmas crafts, pond dipping and a visit to Santa.
- Join Santa and his elves on special festive train journeys with Ffestiniog Railway and Welsh Highland Railway on the weekends of 7 and 8, 14 and 15, 21 and 22 December plus the 23 December for Ffestiniog Railway. There will be presents for the children and plenty of laughs and jokes along the way.
- Snowdonia Nurseries has a Santa’s Grotto in December which is free to visit but they ask that donations are made to Ty Gobaith Children’s Hospice. Dates are Friday 6 and 13 December 5-7pm, Saturday 7, 14 and 21 December 3-5pm, Sunday 22 December 10-11.30am, and Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 December 10-12pm.
In hearty voice:
- That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show is a rock ‘n’ roll variety show with the favourite Christmas classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s plus hilarious comedy on 21 November at Venue Cymru.
- The Daily Post’s Christmas Carol Concert is a spectacular night of music and colour at Venue Cymru. This year it’s on Sunday 22 December and proceeds are going to Ty Gobaith Children’s Hospice.
Christmas Family Fun:
- RSPB Nature Reserve in Conwy has a 12 Birds of Christmas trail so can you find the missing lyrics of their song as you walk around the reserve while learning about the birds that visit them at Winter. This is on every day throughout December.
- Anglesey Sea Zoo has a Christmas Magic Weekend on Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December where you can meet Santa, his elves and his reindeer with a special visit from Frozen Elsa from 1-3pm on the Sunday.
- If you want to wrap up warm and stretch your legs, then Penrhyn Castle has a new winter garden trail which is open every weekend until Sunday 15 December, plus you can play traditional games in the library, enjoy a Wassail punch in the Victorian kitchens and maybe a spot of shopping in the Castle shop.
- There’s fantastic Christmas films to see at Adventure Parc Snowdonia’s Drive-in Cinema. Friday 6 December is Elf at 7pm and Bad Santa at 9.15pm, and Saturday’s movies are Arthur Christmas at 3pm, The Muppet Christmas Carol at 5.15pm and The Grinch at 7.30pm.
- Llandudno has a magical Christmas Parade with Santa through town on Saturday 7 December. There’ll be various seasonal entertainment outside the Town Hall from 2.40pm with the parade which features Father Christmas and lots of other festive attractions at 4pm.
- The Christmas Adventure is a magical two hour journey to the North Pole that the whole family can enjoy at Manorafon Farm Park. There will be no time to rest; dreamy Christmas sets, engaging Christmas characters and exciting children’s activities make this a truly submersive and memorable experience for believers and non-believers on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December.
- Put on your running shoes for the annual Santa Dash! This is Llandudno’s 5k fun race on Saturday 7 December with all participants receiving a Santa outfit so even if you’re not taking part it’ll be worth watching.
- Visit Plas Mawr on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December to join in with their festive fun including making your own spiced orange pomander and festive marchpane sweets.
- Sleeping Beauty is this year’s pantomime at Venue Cymru which runs from Saturday 7 to 29 December. It’ll be packed full with all of the traditional panto ingredients of jaw-dropping dancing, side-splitting comedy, sensational songs and plenty of festive magic.
- There’s a Medieval Christmas in Conwy on Saturday 14 December with street entertainers, musicians and a torch lit procession with Armoured Knights and their Ladies.
- GreenWood Family Park has a magical Christmas 2 hour twilight adventure full or Elves, crafts and magical surroundings bringing Christmas to life. Receive your magical passport along with your tickets and join the Elves in the Gingerbread Workshop, let one of Santa’s Elves guide you through a magical walkway with a spectacle of lights, enjoy the festive music while you wait to see Santa in his log cabin, visit Elf School where the chief elf will transform the little ones into certified elves. This is on from 4pm to 8pm on selected dates from 30 November until 22 December.