Copyright glasgowworld
Glasgow’s Winter Wonderland gets underway this week with the opening of St Enoch Square on Thursday 6 th November from 12 noon until 9pm. The city square will be transformed into a festive Wonderland with lots of family friendly attractions. View the city from new heights in the comfort of the world’s first solar powered observation wheel, which has an accessible capsule. Centre stage will be the Bar Hub, unveiled for the first time in Scotland, which will feature live music. Children will love the family favourite traditional rides including a children’s carousel and flying balloons or why not capture the moment in the photobooth Snow Globe. Enjoy festive shopping with a choice of bespoke gifts as well as independent food and drink makers selling items such as unique mixers and cordials and British brandy liqueurs. And if all the shopping works up an appetite you can sample seasonal foods from the Swing Grill, serving traditional Bavarian sausages, or why not try some authentic Turkish food, Dutch pancakes, or churros. Jensen Taylor Connelly, Director, Scotland’s Theme Park Events said, “The opening of St Enoch Square signals that Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s only the start of a fantastic line-up of festive fun across the city. “Glasgow always feels magical at this time of year, and this season there’s even more for people to see, do, and enjoy together.” The Winter Wonderland at St Enoch Square will be open until Wednesday 24 th December. Sunday – Thursday open from 12 noon until 9.00pm and Friday’s and Saturday’s 10.00am until 10.00pm. On Christmas Eve the event will close at 8.00pm. With George Square under redevelopment, this year the city’s main festive activities will take place at Glasgow Green. Glasgow’s Winter Wonderland on the Green will launch on Friday 21 November until Sunday 4 January 2025. Designed and manufactured in Germany by a family-owned business led by Harvey Wegner, the CO2-neutral Observation Wheel is the first of its kind and the first time to be unveiled in the UK. Its battery storage system is powered by natural light, enabling mains free operation for up to ten hours in the dark. It also enables wheelchair access. Additional attractions at St Enoch Square include a licensed Festive Bar, showcased in Scotland for the first time, and will include live music throughout the event. There will be family friendly rides including a children’s carousel. Visitors will be able to enjoy festive shopping with bespoke gifts, food and drinks on sale. This year the city’s festive centre piece takes place at Glasgow Green where sparkling lights and festive attractions will transform part of the park into an enchanted Wonderland. Visitors can enjoy theatre performances in the Big Top Festive Live including ‘Cinders Fella’ the laugh out loud Glasga themed family mini panto and ‘Jingle Around the World’, sensory story telling sessions featuring Jingle the Elf who is preparing for final Elf School exams. Get your skates, grab your friends and head over to the open-air Ice Rink which will feature dedicated ASN times and budget friendly sessions. The event will include the opportunity to experience popular traditional favourite rides such as Venetian Flying Chairs and the Mad Mouse Rollercoaster or for the more adventurous step up to the thrill rides including, for the first time in Glasgow, Air, a thrill ride that will have you hanging in suspension. There will also be a second city Observation Wheel for visitors to enjoy, in addition to the solar one at St Enoch Square. A Festive Bar, complete with entertainment, will provide the perfect pit stop along the way and a variety of seasonal food and drink vendors will be serving up a great choice including traditional churros, hot chocolates and humble crumble delicious desserts. Lord Provost of Glasgow Jacqueline McLaren said: “Although the nights have started to grow darker winter always shines bright in Glasgow. With ongoing works at George Square, we have an opportunity to reimagine the city’s festive lights with a brand-new trail across the city centre and there are lots of other new and exciting things to see and do. Whether you live in Glasgow or are just visiting, it’s a great time to explore, enjoy the lights, and feel the magic of winter.”
