Christmas shopping is continuing in earnest in Southport, with thousands of people out buying presents – and lots of festive fun to be enjoyed too!
Families have lots to choose from with outdoor Christmas markets, a Gingerbread Trail, a Winter Light Trail, Southport’s first ever interactive Digital Winter Wonderland, festive movies, a Frozen Grotto, pantomimes, and more!
Southport BID, Sefton Council and local businesses have worked together to provide a whole host of entertainment.
Here are some of the many things you can enjoy in town over the next few days to get you into the festive spirit – but hurry, some of them are not here for long!
Wherever you are doing your present buying this year, or wherever you are stopping for a drink or a meal out, please Shop Local and Eat Local in Southport this Christmas!
1 – Outdoor Christmas Market
The Christmas outdoor market. Photo by Andrew Brown Media
Southport Outdoor Christmas Markets
A vibrant festive market is coming to Market Street, alongside the side of Southport Market, this Christmas. Expect to find plenty of local crafts, gifts and treats.
Open Daily: 10am – 6pm.
The event runs from Friday, 10th December until Thursday, 23rd December.
2 – Digital Winter Wonderland
The Digital Winter Wonderland at Marble Place in Southport. Photo by Southport BID
People in Southport can enjoy a Digital Winter Wonderland at Christmas thanks to Southport BID and Immersive Interactive
Visit the UK’s first immersive digital Christmas experience right here in Southport!
Be transported into a Winter Wonderland, where you can engage in a number of sensory festive activities, and some other entertaining games. Join us to decorate a snowman, catch a snowflake, and even splat a snowball or two!
Provided by Southport BID and local company Immersive Interactive, this takes place between December 4th and December 23rd, with bookings via www.southportbid.com for between 1-10 people
£6 donation for groups of 1-5. £10 donation for groups of 5-10 (per group not per person). All donations will go to Southport Lifeboat.
Book here: southportbid.com
3 – Winter Light Trail
The Winter Light Trail at Victoria Park in Southport. Photo by Claire Brown
The Winter Light Trail at Victoria Park in Southport. Photo by Claire Brown
A spectacular after dark light trail is taking place in Southport.
The captivating Luminate light trail weaves a 1.2km long route around the grounds at the beautiful Victoria Park.
The stunning new event will run until Thursday, 23rd December, starting at 4.30pm each night.
Tickets for the light trail are booked on a starting time slot basis, but you can take as long as you like walking the magical trail.
Visit: luminate.live/southport
4 – Frozen Grotto
Christmas decorations at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Media
The BID is working in partnership with Wayfarers Arcade and Southport Lions Club to provide an amazing Grotto experience for children. StarKidz will be providing some of their much-loved characters.
Families can then enjoy a Frozen Grotto, which takes place at Wayfarers Arcade 20th-24th December.
Bookings only via www.southportbid.com
£5 donation per child (includes present). All donations will be distributed to local charities by Southport Lions Club.
Provided, in partnership by Southport BID, Southport Lions Club, and Wayfarers Arcade.
5 – Christmas movies at Southport Bijou Cinema
Elf
Sit back and enjoy some of the greatest festive movies of all time at the Bijou Cinema, on Post Office Avenue in Southport town centre.
Throughout December, you can enjoy classics such as: White Christmas, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, Last Christmas, Die Hard, Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life and more.
Movies for Thursday, December 23: Christmas Snowman Shorts, The Snowman and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (11.30am); How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2.30pm); Gremlins (7.30pm).
Movies for Friday, December 24: The Nightmare Before Christmas (11.30am); The Muppets Christmas Carol (2.30pm); It’s A Wonderful Life (7.30pm).
Visit: southportbijoucinema.co.uk
6 – Gingerbread Family Trail
The Southport Gingerbread Trail. Photo by Southport BID
The Southport Gingerbread Trail
Similar to the Nutcracker Trail which was in Southport last year, there will be a collection of gingerbread figures placed around Southport.
See if you can spot them in the windows of shops and restaurants across the town centre, and make sure to make a note of their names.
With the Gingerbread Family Trail, people will be asked to find their names, and once they have done so, can enter a competition by posting their answers into Santa’s letterbox in Wayfarers Arcade.
When you have all ten, post your answers in Santa’s letterbox in Wayfarers Arcade, and you will be entered into the draw to win an iPad! You can also send your answers to [email protected]
This is provided by Southport BID and will run until 3rd January.
7 – Free Christmas movies at Southport Market
Southport Market has been transformed into a festive wonderland for Christmas
Some of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time will be screened at Southport Market this December – and they’re all free to watch!
The Festive Films event will take place in the new events space at the market, called ‘Extravaganza’, between Saturday, 11th December and Thursday, 30th December – the full list is below.
Family friendly films on show will all be PG or U rated, and will include: Frozen, The Santa Clause, The Polar Express, It’s A Wonderful Life, Elf and others.
The event is in partnership with Bijou Cinema in Southport.
Southport Market is the perfect place to enjoy a day or a night out this Christmas, with 10 food outlets serving food from around the world in addition to a central bar.
The surrounding Southport Market Quarter also boasts an array of local, independent food outlets and shops.
See the full list of movies here:
Revealed: The free festive movies you can enjoy at Southport Market this Christmas
8 – Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Panto lovers will enjoy Robin Hood at Southport Little Theatre on Hoghton Street, Southport town centre, from 17th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022.
Robin Hood has pledged to rid Southport of the dastardly Sheriff of Wigon.
The Sheriff and his band of evil cut-throats kidnap Robin’s mother and her faithful cow, threatening their imminent execution. Can Robin and his band of Merry Men from Hesketh Park save the day?
An old fashioned Panto with all the best singing, hissing and booing bits…and with a modern twist.
Visit: www.littletheatresouthport.co.uk
9– Cinderella at The Atkinson
The Cinderella Christmas Pantomime by LHK Productions runs at The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport from Friday, 10th December until Sunday, 2nd January 2022. Claire Sweeney stars as The Fairy Godmother with Mia Molloy as Cinderella
Claire Sweeney stars in this pantomime at The Atkinson on Lord Street from Friday 10 December 2021 to Sunday 2 January 2022.
Bring the whole family to Cinderella, a spellbinding new Christmas pantomime staged in The Atkinson’s traditional theatre.
Cinderella, her wicked Stepmother, the jealous stepsisters, the loveable Buttons, a dreamy Prince Charming and of course Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother will all be making an appearance onstage.
You can expect to see some famous faces in this traditional panto with a modern twist; accomplished actress, incredible singer and TV personality Claire Sweeney stars as the Fairy Godmother.
Joining Claire on stage are regular panto pro’s Mia Molloy (Mam, I’m Ere!) as Cinderella, Lewis Pryor (Britain’s Got Talent) as Buttons, Alex Patmore (Blood Brothers) as Prince Charming as well as Tom Burroughs (Local Southport Actor) & Michael Chapman (Beloved Panto Dame) as The Ugly Sisters.
Visit: www.theatkinson.co.uk
10 – Southport’s Christmas Tree
The Southport Christmas tree has been installed in the Town Hall Gardens by IllumiDx UK Ltd in a scheme commissioned by Southport BID. Photo by Andrew Brown Media
The Christmas tree provided by Southport BID outside The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport
Southport’s glittering Christmas tree is covered with 25,000 LED pixels which create beautiful lights displays.
You can even walk through the tree, and look up and admire the lights.
A great spot for that Christmas selfie.
11 – Christmas Sleigh
The Christmas sleigh at Vue Cinema at Ocean Plaza in Southport
The Gingerbread Family have left their trusty sleigh at Ocean Plaza. Visit the sleigh and take your best photograph. The Sleigh is wheelchair accessible.
Post your pictures across social media, tagging Southport BID and using #SouthportChristmas for your chance to win a £50 Southport Gift Card.
Provided by Southport BID, this runs between 27th November and 3rd January.
12 – Gingerbread Family Photo-shoot
To coincide with this years Gingerbread Family Trail, there is a great photo opportunity competition at Central 12
Strike a pose with some of the Gingerbread Family at Central 12 retail park on Derby Road.
Post your pictures across social media, tagging Southport BID and using #SouthportChristmas for your chance to win a £50 Southport Gift Card.
Provided by Southport BID, this runs between 27th November and 3rd January.
13 – Christmas at Funland
The Starkidz elves brought their cheeky brand of mayhem to Silcocks Funland in Southport, to help them launch the Christmas season in style
The Starkidz elves brought their cheeky brand of mayhem to Silcock’s Funland in Southport, to help them launch the Christmas season in style!
The mischievous elves delighted passers-by with their visit to Funland – the home of family fun.
Southport’s largest family amusement centre has stood as the grand entrance to Southport Pier, on the Promenade, for many years.
The attraction is now counting down the days to Christmas with visitors enjoying a variety of games in the arcade from just 2p a play to £1.
As they win they can choose from a wide range of superb festive prizes, which make great Christmas presents.
Silcock’s Operations Manager Serena Silcock-Prince said: “I have known Jan from Starkidz for years! The Starkidz elves are great at what they do.
“We thought once Halloween is over, let’s start Christmas in style, and bring some Christmas cheer to Southport. It was great to see them get the ball rolling for us.
“We have just put up our Christmas tree here at Funland. A lot of our staff have fun and dress up in festive style around this time of year.
“We have got lots of great prizes at Funland from fidgets, reversible octopus toys, board games, to much bigger prizes which we can source specifically at the request of our customers such as iPhones or Playstations.
“We also have copies of the 2022 Seen From Above Calendar by talented local photographer Ben Arreaza-Seed, which features stunning aerial pictures of Southport, which is available here in Funland too.”
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