Southport Pleasureland plans to run its biggest and best yet ‘Day of the Dead’ spectacular this November – and launch its Winter Wonderland North in December.
Day of the Dead is an increasingly popular high-octane after-dark annual ‘celebration of life’ featuring colourful samba drummers, fire spinners, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, music with a live DJ, the park’s rides fully illuminated and running – and a dramatic fireworks finale.
The whole-family Mexican celebration, which will see the park festooned with bright and beautiful sugar skulls, on Saturday November 14 and will include outdoor food concessions and entertainments with proven Covid 19 safety measures in place. Gates open at 5pm. Tickets for non-riders are £9.99 and include all the entertainment and fireworks and the ‘rider’ ticket price of £24.50 and includes unlimited rides .
There is no more exuberant and colourful celebration of simply being alive than South America’s Day of the Dead extravaganza – and this will be Pleasureland’s third.
The Day of the Dead – or el Día de los Muertos – is a Mexican holiday dedicated to family. So it is fitting that the North West family-focused attraction has chosen this most vibrant entertainment to light up the evening.
The family spectacular has proven so popular with adults and children that each year it has grown to include new and even more exotic and entertaining elements. With illuminated rides running and music pulsing the celebration is defined by explosions of colour and zest for life and the firework display makes sure the sky is the limit for this memorable evening.
The park will be transformed into a theatre of light and music against a fabulous fiesta atmosphere. It’s not every evening that you and your family are treated to the spectacle of a pair of skeletons dualling with flaming swords or dancing with fire, so keep your eyes peeled for something more than a little out of the ordinary.
The Katumba drum band is Liverpool’s own. A fierce fusion of UK big beat, Caribbean calypso and the carnivals of Northeast Brazil – Katumba creates an explosion of rhythmic revelry that you can’t help but dance to. Its colossal carnival sound fills the air and is complimented by spectacular dance choreography. The band has performed at some of the world’s biggest events including Africa Oyé, Brazilica, Amsterdam Carnival and Recife Carnival, Brazil.
To ensure effective social distancing measures this year’s event will feature acts on a purpose-built stage with a one-way system for visitors to enter and leave the show area.
But that’s not all Pleasureland has in store for visitors to the park as we bid 2020 a final farewell.
Park CEO Norman Wallis says: “Day of the Dead has become a real hit, but we didn’t want to leave it at that, so we are staging Winter Wonderland North.”
He said: “We have been considering and planning a Winter Wonderland North event for some time. We have been open with full Coronavirus safety measures in place for many months. We know what we’re doing, what works and how to make sure people understand the part they have to play in keeping everyone safe.
“Those who’ve visited the park will know that we take great care over the grounds and landscaping. We’ve planted many Christmas trees and they, along with our existing established trees will be decorated with beautiful Christmas lights. All of the rides and buildings will be shimmering as the park pulls on its Winter Wow from its first weekend, starting Saturday November 28th and Sunday 29th. Winter Wonderland will then be open every weekend in December until it opens daily (with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) until January 3 2021.
Father Christmas – and the park is hoping to coax his reindeer to join him – will be in his Covid-safe grotto residence, a new indoor ride around Santa’s workshop is under construction and a German-style Christmas Market offers Christmas treats and festive food and drink – so there will be plenty to see and do.”
More details about what’s on at Pleasureland is posted on the park’s website. www.southportpleasureland.com
This year social distancing measures will be observed but fun levels will be kept high.
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