Bournemouth transforms into a Christmas Tree Wonderland
5th November 2018
Visitors will be dazzled later this month as Bournemouth Town Centre is transformed into a magical spectacle with over 100 glittering trees and illuminations. This festive season will be like no other as Christmas Tree Wonderland makes it mark on the town for the very first time.
Opening on 16 November and running through until the beginning of January, Bournemouth’s unique free festival trail will start with an illuminated big wheel at the resort’s award-winning seafront, before weaving through the historic Lower Gardens – and features iconic themed trees from cities around the world including Moscow, St Petersburg, Bethlehem, Seattle and Warsaw, as well as a Tree of Light and canopy of cascading lights over Pine Tree Walk.
The centrepiece of the attraction will be the Bournemouth Wonderland Tree. At the same height as the Angel of the North, this 60ft LED spectacle comprises 30,000 individual lights programmed for regular sound and light shows.
A famously family-friendly resort, kids will be entertained with a series of enchanting illuminations dotted around Bournemouth - including a giant teddy bear, gingerbread people and a giant bauble, as well as animated polar bears, a snow lion, fairies and elves.
There will also be a magical Santa’s grotto along the trail in the Lower Gardens, each little visitor will receive a magical gift and treasured family photo – creating memories for a life time. Plus, enjoy entertainment across the resort at specific periods.
Visitors can also explore the Alpine Market which is packed with gifts and food to get revellers into the Christmas spirit. To help celebrate the joyous occasion even more, the two-storey Alpine Lodge is back offering a selection of festive hot and cold drinks, with indoor and outdoor seating.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without fun on the ice, and once again, visitors can enjoy skating under the stars in the fairy-tale setting of the town’s Grade II-listed Victorian gardens. SKATE is back with the addition of an ice path allowing skaters to venture off the main rink.
As well as sponsoring the core offer in the centre of the resort, the support of the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) support guarantees added festive fun, as the magical experiences extend to the Triangle, Horseshoe Common and Lansdowne, plus in the coastal villages, Westbourne, Southbourne and Boscombe.
In addition, an extraordinary and exciting new building will be in Bournemouth’s buzzy and vibrant Triangle - the Upside Down House. Experience Christmas the wrong way round, walk on the ceiling, go downstairs to go up, do handstands on the sofa without taking your feet off the floor and let your imagination run riot. The house is fully furnished, arranged over two storeys and is perfect for quirky photo opportunities.
Elsewhere in town, Rita Simons stars in Sleeping Beauty at the Pavilion Theatre, Eve Bunting’s book Night Tree is brought to life in a magical interactive performance at Pavilion Dance South West and the Bournemouth International Centre hosts its Cool Coast indoor ice rink.
Jon Weaver, Head of Resort Marketing & Events, said: “We’re all very excited about the arrival of the Christmas Tree Wonderland! It’s an awesome undertaking for the team and promises to be a fantastic attraction as well as a memorable addition to Bournemouth’s year-round events calendar, building on our status as a truly eventful destination.”
Further details can be found on christmasstreewonderland.co.uk which is now live. Sponsored by Crowd, the new site gives an insight into what’s happening in and around Bournemouth over the festive period. Plan your seasonal day with the easy what’s on page, and the getting here page gives helpful information on how to easily get to Bournemouth to experience Christmas Tree Wonderland with help from exclusive bus transport provider, Yellow Buses.
For details of the full Christmas Tree Wonderland experience:
Website: christmastreewonderland.co.uk
FB & Instagram: @xmastreewonderland
Twitter: @xmaswonderland_
