Santa’s Chief Elf Tinsel invites good boys and girls to be fellow elves in Harrogate Christmas show

Santa’s Chief Elf Tinsel is inviting good boys and girls from across the Harrogate district to become a fellow elf in this year’s Christmas show.

Tinsel, from Enchantica’s, is set to delight children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at a very magical Elf Village at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel.

And this year Tinsel, aka Suzanne Kaye-Vaughan, is inviting people to nominate local children to make guest elf appearances.

Ms Kaye-Vaughan was inspired to offer the VIP roles after her son Dante asked if he could wear an elf uniform and help her with last year’s show at  The Crown Hotel.

She said:

“It was the highlight of my year having him enjoy sharing the magic too and seeing him shine bright performing alongside us.

“This year I would like to give that opportunity to some other local children too and we are accepting nominations to fill a handful of these guest elf appearance roles.

“The children will get to come and wear an elf costume and help with the elf songs.”

Keeping the magic alive

Ms Kaye-Vaughan, who is well-known in Harrogate for spreading the magic with her business Enchantica’s, said after chatting with some families, she realised there were concerns that children might recognise her as ‘Suzie’, rather than Tinsel.

She said:

“I know that a few do have a little fear that because they know me locally as ‘Suzie’ that their children will not believe that I actually work for Father Christmas.

“I just reassure them that it’s my real job and that I work regionally in the Harrogate area.

“When I explain that it’s on my CV and how lucky I feel to have the role as chief elf in Harrogate helping Father Christmas get ready for the big day and working on a big elf training project, they too realise that my elf role is the real deal.

“Not all elves live at the North Pole. Some, like me, are lucky to live in other beautiful places in the world like Harrogate – and we work remotely.

“We actually love it when we see families that we know visiting us year-after-year. That’s one of the main reasons we keep adding to the magic each year so that every visit is super special and filled with even more enchantment than the last.”

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And it is “keeping the magic alive”, that Ms Kaye-Vaughan stresses is so important at Christmas time.

Dreamweavers

Explaining how she does this with her five-year-old son, she said:

“Dante has asked ‘mummy when you work are you going to the North Pole?’, and I tell him I just work remotely with the elves in the Harrogate area.

“I think we have a great responsibility as adults to keep activating the magic. By being a dreamweaver at home and adding to the magic, there is nothing greater than seeing the joy on a little one’s face. That is what we want to bottle.

“By having traditions it activates magic and reminds us of that joyful feeling. It doesn’t matter what age we are, we know Christmas is coming, we are going to have the quality time together and it sparks that joy we remember from our childhood and that magic then lasts for generations to come.”

Tinsel and Father Christmas.

Traditions

Ms Kaye-Vaughan said research has proven that families who have traditions that are filled with joy, the next generation carry them on and build on them.

She said:

“When I think about what our tradition is, it really is that we make Christmas magic.

“When we’ve been doing the elf jobs this week, I save certain ones for when Dante is not in school because he absolutely loves them.

“We look at what is on the list and what Father Christmas has asked for and we are genuinely helping Father Christmas to make more magic to share with families.

“By doing this, it certainly does make a lot of magic for ourselves. It’s the gift of Christmas sharing magic with others and we talk about how special and important that is.”

If you would like to nominate a child to be an elf in this year’s Christmas show, send an email with your child’s name, age and reason why they should be Tinsel’s helper to events@enchanticas.co.uk before November 11.

To book tickets for the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience at the Cedar Court Hotel, click here

The experience is supported by Harrogate BID.

Seven places to see Santa across the Harrogate district this Christmas

It feels like it creeps up on us earlier every year. Yes folks, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: it’s time to book your Santa visit.

Attractions across the Harrogate district have already started to release tickets.

And while Christmas might still be three months away, it’s advisable to act fast if you want to secure an audience with Mr Claus.

I’ve had the pleasure of taking my boys to meet him a few times over the years at various locations in the area.

Each experience has been excellent and we are definitely spoilt for choice. Santa is clearly a big fan of the Harrogate district.

To help you get organised, here are seven places to see Santa this year:

The Harrogate Father Christmas Experience – Cedar Court Hotel

It’s back and it has been hailed as “bigger and better than ever”.

Last year Father Christmas’s Chief Elf Tinsel, from Enchantica’s, delighted children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at The Crown Hotel.

This Christmas you can join Santa, Tinsel and all of the Elves at a very magical Elf Village at the Cedar Court Hotel.

And those who are on the good elf list can book places to enjoy two shows this year:

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 27 and you can be among the first to get them by signing up to the mailing list here.

November 26 – December 24. Check here for show dates, times and availability.

Christmas at Mother Shipton’s, Knaresborough

Wander through the winter woodland to see the enchanted Christmas Village, festooned with festive delights and merry displays.

Chief Elf Chestnut will meet little visitors and lead them to see Santa Claus in his cosy Christmas grotto.

Children will be presented with a pack of festive activities and will also be able to listen to tales from Holly Berry, make reindeer food and post a letter to Santa at the North Pole Post Office.

November 26 – December 24. Click here to buy tickets. 

The Magical Christmas Experience – Birchfield Farm, Summerbridge

This hugely popular experience is making a welcome return following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Meet Mother Christmas in her sitting room to check in and collect your sleigh ride tickets.

Then head to the sleigh pick up point to be greeted by Buddy the Elf, who will help you board Santa’s sleigh for your magical sleigh ride .

You will arrive at father’s Christmas woodland grotto where you can sit by the fire and tell him your Christmas wishes.

November 26 – December 23. Click here to buy tickets.

Santa’s Grotto – Thorp Perrow Arboretum, Bedale

Follow the festive trail through the Arboretum, until you find yourself at the grotto, nestled deep in the woods.

The elves welcome and guide you through the winter wonderland, where you’ll meet a host of wonderful creatures before arriving outside Santa’s log cabin home.

Find him waiting in his cosy sitting room for a chat and a photo. He also has a gift for every child.

November 24 – December 24. Click here to buy tickets from September 26.

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Santa’s Grotto at Stockeld Park, Wetherby

Father Christmas will be bringing the magic back to Stockeld Park this winter.

With twinkling lights and Santa in a rustic wooden cabin, the whole family will feel the festive cheer.

Visitors can also check out the dazzling Winter Illuminations. 

November 19 – December 24. Click here to buy tickets.

Santa’s Magical Sunday Lunch – The Bridge Hotel and Spa, Walshford

The hotel’s popular Santa Sunday lunch is back for Christmas 2022.

The family dining experience features a table magician and face painter to entertain the children.

It also includes a visit to Father Christmas’s grotto with gifts for the children and an individual photo to take away.

Book now by calling 01937 580 115 or email reservations@bridgewetherby.co.uk

Into the Woods: A Fairytale Christmas – Castle Howard, York

This experience is slightly further afield, but is definitely worth a mention if you fancy some extravagance at Christmas.

After the sell-out success of last year’s ‘Christmas in Narnia’ experience, Charlotte Lloyd Webber Events and The Projection Studio are back and set to transform grand rooms into magical forests and faraway kingdoms.

Expect to be enchanted by theatrical installations and projections that bring to life your favourite fairytales. The sounds of glass slippers on ballroom floors and horse-drawn pumpkins will echo through the great halls via state-of-the-art soundscapes.

The theme also means Father Christmas will pay a special visit throughout December, bringing an immersive theatrical experience in the main house and a storytelling grotto in the courtyard.

Ticket prices will vary subject to whether you choose to book on a peak or off-peak date. You can buy them here.