Celebrate Christmas with festive entertainment from the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts
An Ice Rink, Santa’s Grotto, visiting Christmas characters and an exclusive meet and greet with Paddington™ will sprinkle Derby with festive cheer this year.
Family-friendly entertainment, including ice king and queen stilt walkers, naughty elves on motorised sleighs, gingerbread men and a visiting snow globe, has been funded by the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BIDs).
Gemma Pindard, Deputy Manager for the Cathedral Quarter BID and St Peters Quarter BID said she is delighted to bring a full programme of activities to the city in the run up to Christmas.
She said: “We have worked really hard to create a family-friendly Christmas atmosphere in Derby during November and December and we have some wonderful entertainment for shoppers coming to Derby.”
What’s on:
Irongate
Walk through Irongate’s Ceiling of Light – a display of thousands of lights glowing above one of Derby’s iconic streets – and enjoy the welcome return of the Cathedral Quarter ice rink.
The ice rink is being sponsored by the Cathedral Quarter BID and opens on Saturday, November 29, until New Year’s Eve.
Last year, more than 12,000 people donned their skates and enjoyed the Cathedral Quarter Ice Rink but there’s so much more to enjoy this Christmas in Derby.
Brad Worley, Manager for the Cathedral Quarter BID and St Peters Quarter BID, said: “Our ice rink is always very well attended, and we know how many families love to come skating. We have kept prices as low as possible so people can enjoy some festive fun.”
Christmas Lights
Enjoy the city’s dazzling Festive Derby Light Trail, a display brought to you by the Cathedral Quarter and St Peter’s Quarter Business Improvement District (BIDs) and Derby City Council.
Explore the city centre and find your picture-perfect moment at every turn as the trail leads from St Peter’s Cross to Irongate. The trail begins under the Rudolph reindeer arch (complete with his red nose!) at St Peter’s Cross.
In Osnabruck Square, you can sit among twinkling gonks, reindeer, and a polar bear, before heading into Derby Market Hall, walking beneath the towering golden star. You can snap a selfie with the giant teddy bear overlooking the Ice Rink, before walking through the light-up presents on the Market Place.
Derby Market Hall
Santa makes a welcome return to the Cathedral Quarter Grotto in November – and this year you’ll find him in the Derby Market Hall. Santa’s magical grotto opened on Saturday, November 29, and each child will receive a special gift from Santa. Families can take their own photographs with Santa and his elves and afterwards, why not take a stroll and visit all the new and independent stalls in Derby Market Hall.
Tickets cost £4.50, which includes the booking fee, and prices have been kept to a minimum so families can enjoy some special time together before Christmas.
Santa’s Grotto opens every weekend from Saturday, November 29, to Sunday, December 21. It will also open on Friday, December 19, from 10am to 12pm, Monday, December 22, Tuesday, December 23 and Wednesday, December 24. Times do vary on the weekends.
To find out more about all the events happening in Derby and to check availability and book, visit https://buytickets.at/stpetersquarterderby/1918932
