Meadowhall announces return of its much-loved Christmas parade, featuring Santa and other special guests
Meadowhall is set to kick off the festive season in style this week with the return of its much-loved Christmas parade on Thursday, November 6, hosted by BBC Radio Sheffield’s breakfast show presenter, Ellie Colton.
Starting at 5pm, the 50-minute, family-friendly parade will start from the Lower Avenue (outside Frasers) and make its way through the centre before ending on the Lower Gallery with the first spectacular performance from the Christmas Cirque – retuning for a second year with a dazzling display of acrobatics, juggling and festive wonder.
Full of festive fun, the parade will see Santa waving from his sleigh and a marching band playing all the Christmas classics, alongside a range of much-loved mascots guaranteed to bring smiles to all ages.
Football fans can look out for mascots from across South Yorkshire and beyond, with Captain Blade from Sheffield United, Ozzie Owl from Sheffield Wednesday, Miller Bear from Rotherham United, Toby Tyke from Barnsley FC and Chester the Fieldmouse from Chesterfield FC all joining the line up.
Crowd favourites including the mischievous Christmas duo Harry and Marv, Pudsey the Bear, Dex from the Works and Percy Pig from M&S will also make an appearance, alongside plenty more characters bringing Christmas cheer.
This year’s festivities will also debut a brand-new giant light show outside the Oasis Dining Quarter. Made of up thousands of LED lights set to music, the sequence tells the story of Sparky, a star born from Santa’s workshop that goes on a heartwarming journey to spread festive joy throughout Sheffield, culminating in a spectacular arrival at Meadowhall.
The first show takes place at 4pm on Thursday 6th November ahead of the parade, with 5-minute performances each day, every 30 minutes until 8pm.
Meadowhall’s Magical Winterland will also return on Saturday 22nd November, transforming the Orange Car Park into a festive wonderland for all ages. New for this year, the Winter Spectacular by Circus Cortex will bring a world of frost and fantasy to life under the big top, alongside Santa’s Magical Grotto, fairground rides and a range of seasonal food and drinks.
Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, commented: “The Christmas Parade is one of our most loved traditions and is always the perfect way to mark the start of the festive season. It’s always a truly magical moment and this year’s line-up promises to be bigger than ever, with many popular faces we know visitors of all ages will enjoy.
“We also have the return of the popular Christmas Cirque and alongside launching our spectacular light curtain show and brand-new decorations, we’re transforming the entire centre into a winter wonderland, making it the ultimate destination for festive fun, family time and gift shopping.”
Meadowhall’s Christmas Parade is free to attend and will take place from 5pm on Thursday, November 6.
For more information, visit: https://meadowhall.co.uk/event/christmas-parade