Review: Making magical memories at the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience

This article is sponsored by Enchantica’s.

One of my happiest memories as a child was visiting Father Christmas every year.

We always went to Victoria House – later called Sunwin House – on the site of what is now the Everyman Cinema building.

The visit began with a ride through the stars on a sleigh that really moved, followed by a walk through a winter wonderland to Santa’s grotto.

It felt truly magical – and it’s an experience I’m keen to recreate for my own children as they grow up.

Of course, the sleigh ride and Sunwin House are long gone, but when we heard about the Elf Training Workshop organised by Enchantica’s, I thought it might just offer some of that magical feeling I’d loved as a child.

From the moment we arrived at the Cedar Court Hotel, it did. We were greeted by elves who, through the power of QR codes on our e-tickets, were able to greet each child by name. They said to each other:

“Look, it’s Poppy! She’s the one we’ve been waiting for!”

The look of amazement on the children’s faces was lovely to see.

We walked through to the elf village where, on long picnic tables, we were invited to make paper chains ready to decorate the village. Hot chocolates, soft drinks and even beers were flowing, with sweet treats also on offer.

Hot chocolates and paper chains

The elves flitted from table to table, chatting to the children about their creations. Adding to the magic, they also knew a little about each child:

“Lily, you’ve been learning to swim this year, haven’t you? You’ve been doing so well with your lessons. Will you keep trying your best next year?”

Paper chains complete, we were shown through to the elf workshop. It was at the end of a snow-covered pathway, lined with glowing, elf-sized windows, lanterns and wintry scenes.

The snowy walk to the elf workshop

The path opened out into a classic fairytale setting: fireplace, Christmas tree, toys, stockings, and hundreds of fairy lights. It’s hard to believe that, in the summer, this tipi was serving afternoon teas and cocktails.

Within a few minutes, the show was under way. Chief Elf Tinsel encouraged participation in songs and other activities, even bringing up a few children to help with parts of the show.

The most thrilling part was the arrival of Father Christmas. Without wishing to spoil the surprise, let’s just say he entered in traditional fashion, and took up his spot on the throne by the fire to join in the fun.

The children were all enthralled by the whole thing – even my 19-month-old paid attention throughout the half-hour experience, clapping at the right moments and peering around to see Santa.

The elf village at the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience

Once the show was over, we were brought up in family groups to meet Father Christmas and have our photos taken. Each child received a wooden token to exchange for a toy from the elves.

These were good quality gifts and just right for the ages of the recipients. A cuddly snowman delighted my toddler, while her four-year-old brother has been playing with his snap cards from the moment he unwrapped them.

On the way out, we posed in Santa’s sleigh for photos, observing the snow-dusted Christmas trees and footprints on the ground.

It was this attention to detail that made it work so well. From the quality of the costumes to their engagement with the children, the team of elves kept everything running smoothly and were utterly convincing throughout.

An elf entertains children at the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience

The setting was as luxurious and twinkly as you could wish Santa’s workshop to be, and Santa and Chief Elf Tinsel put on a captivating show that worked for all ages – including a few witty asides for the grown-ups.

I came away with that magical feeling I remembered from my own childhood, seeing the excitement and wonder on my children’s faces. It’s the kind of experience I can imagine becoming an annual tradition for our family.

Can we sign up for next year yet?

 

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Advent calendar of offers and prizes from Harrogate businesses

Businesses around Harrogate have united to bring a daily offer to shoppers throughout advent and boost town centre trade.

Each day, a new offer or competition will be posted on social media as part of a project organised by Suzanne Vaughan – better known as the director of Enchantica’s.

While she will spend much of the run-up to Christmas dressed as Chief Elf Tinsel at the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience, she will also share the daily offers to support local businesses.

She said:

“We love delivering Christmas magic for families to enjoy but we knew we could do more for the businesses and organisations in our town and that is how the Harrogate (Social Media) Advent Calendar was born.

“Every day in December you will see Father Christmas opening up the advent door and sprinkling festive fun and magic onto a different business or event in Harrogate.

“Each day will see the reveal of a wonderful range of gifts, special offers and prizes for people to enjoy and together, working with all of the businesses and organisations involved, we have all helped each other to share all of the Christmas magic that we all have to offer.

“By working together we can all help each other and together celebrate the wonderful community of businesses and organisations that Harrogate is home to.”

The advent calendar has launched today with a top prize of a £200 Radley handbag from Hoopers on James Street, as well as discounts on fashion and beauty products. Visitors to the shop today also have the chance to win a family pass to Enchantica’s Father Christmas Experience and a family ticket to the pantomime at Harrogate Theatre.

To see each day’s offers as the advent calendar doors are opened, follow Enchantica’s on Instagram or Facebook.

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The Christmas Experience is held every weekend and during the school holidays until Christmas at the Cedar Court Hotel and is supported by Harrogate BID, as part of its efforts to bring people into town to use local businesses.

Simon Cotton, MD of HRH Group, which runs the Yorkshire Hotel and White Hart Hotel, in the town centre, said the advent calendar was a great way to support local businesses at a vital time of year in retail. He added:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Harrogate and shows just what we can achieve when the community pulls together.

“Christmas is such an important time for everyone in the town and we are happy to support anything that attracts people into the town.”