Arts & Crafts

A brand new festive family experience is coming to Tatton Park Gardens this Christmas from the creators of Just So family festival

With fire jugglers, live music, campfire stories, and a magical illuminated light trail through Tatton’s famous gardens

A new festive family experience is coming to Tatton Park Gardens this Christmas! Yuletide is a unique blend of an outdoor Christmas festival and winter light trail, and is based on festive folklore, ridiculous rituals and forgotten traditions.

It will run from Friday 24th November until Saturday 23rd December on selected dates, with time slots between 3pm – 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.yuletide.org.uk (£12 for children, £20 for adults and free for under 2s.)

At the heart of Yuletide is the Yuletide Gathering, a unique take on a family festival at Christmastime. Families can wrap up warm round a glowing campfire to watch live musicians, listen to campfire stories, toast marshmallows and even watch impressive fire jugglers. There will also be food vendors serving up tasty festive treats and mulled wine.

Afterwards, visitors can walk a glittering light trail through Tatton’s famous gardens. There will be lit installations, interactive light effects, illuminated puppets and costumed characters along the route, including some winter witches who have captured the moon and the sun, and shapeshifting snow hares who will play tricks on passersby.

Families will even be able to crown their own ‘Lord of Misrule’, inspired by the Tudor tradition of appointing someone to be in charge of Christmas revelries.

Yuletide is created by the award-winning outdoor arts organisation Wild Rumpus, who run the popular Just So family festival and have also produced Lanterns at Cheshire Zoo for the past 6 years.

‘We can’t wait to bring Yuletide to Tatton this Christmas! It will be unlike any other festive event that families have been to. Christmas is the most magical time of the year for families; we wanted to create something that’s really special, that hopefully becomes part of people’s festive traditions’, says Rowan Cannon, director of Wild Rumpus.

‘Families will step into a glittering world as characters from winter myths and stories come to life. Once inside, visitors will be able to explore things at their own pace. They can cosy up round the campfire together at the Yuletide Gathering, soak up the festival atmosphere, and then make their way around the 1km light trail through Tatton’s beautiful gardens.’

There will also be a special celebration on Friday 22nd December to mark the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. It will include a torchlit procession, music and storytelling.

Full details from www.yuletide.org.uk