Preparations are in full swing at Cardiff Castle with just a few days to go before Santa arrives and the Christmas event season kicks off. This year sees the return of some much–loved festive events and new Christmas ventures including wreath-making and a special Castle After Dark tour.
Santa’s Grotto which opens on Sat 7 December has proved to be so popular that all tickets have now sold out. However space remains on the Victorian Christmas Tours (10 – 11 December) which includes a visits to Santa in his Grotto.
New for 2013 is Christmas Wreath – Making on 8 December. An expert florist will be on hand to give you inspiration and guidance and with all the foliage, winter berries and decoration provided, you are sure to go home with a masterpiece.
Our ever-popular Victorian Christmas Tours 10 – 11 December will return to offer a real flavour of a bygone Christmas. A Victorian costumed guide will meet and take visitors on a tour through the beautifully decorated apartments. Waiting to greet everyone in the Library will be the carol singers with a medley of favourite carols and festive music. Amongst the rooms visitors will see are the children’s Nursery and the Banqueting Hall where the table is set for a lavish Christmas feast. Santa will also make an appearance with presents for all the children. And for the perfect end to the evening, enjoy mulled wine with mince pies.
Castle After Dark (15 December) will be a new venture for the Castle. As night falls, take a grand tour of the interiors of Cardiff Castle with your costumed guide, from the top of the towers to the servants’ quarter below stairs. See the spectacular Castle Apartments, beautifully adorned with garlands and traditional decorations, ready for Christmas when the Bute family was in residence. The evening culminates in a visit to the wine cellar followed by Christmas carols and mulled wine in the atmospheric candlelit 15th century Undercroft.
The appearance of the Spiegeltent in the Castle grounds heralds the start of National Theatre Wales’ spectacular performances of ‘Silly Kings’ (19 Dec – 4 Jan) adapted from Terry Jones’ fairy tales for children and very silly adults.
Cabinet Member of Sport, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Ramesh Patel said,
“The Castle is at its best during the festive period. The apartments are beautifully adorned with traditional Christmas decorations and garlands, staff dressed in traditional Victorian costume echo a by-gone era and the children are full of excitement in anticipation of seeing Santa.”
For further information on Christmas events at the Castle www.cardiffcastle.com and in the capital visit – www.christmasincardiff.com
