Where to see Santa Claus in Cambridgeshire for Christmas 2022
Father Christmas will be out and about on his sleigh around the county before the big day later this month. If you’d like to take your children along to see him - or fancy saying hello yourself - here are a few options in and around Cambridge.
Lion Yard Shopping Centre, Cambridge
Lion Yard shopping centre’s free Santa’s Grotto has returned and is ready to open this weekend (Saturday, December 3, and Sunday, December 4). For several years now, Lion Yard has given children the chance to meet with Santa, receive a present and tell him what they want for Christmas, inside the centre’s main atrium.
This year’s Lion Yard grotto experience is based on a new Christmas decoration. Look out for classic orange and white hanging illuminated signs and outposts, country markers and distances, as well as an Arctic outpost hut in the main atrium, which will be the home of Father Christmas on December 3,4,10,11,17-24. There is no need to pre-reserve as it works on a first come, first served basis.
Roger Allen, centre manager of Lion Yard, said: “We are proud to run a free grotto at the heart of the city centre. There are a lot of pressures on households at the minute and the chance for any child to meet with Santa should be universal and not based on price. We look forward to welcoming and supporting families with their Christmas gifting and experiences. Merry Christmas.”
The grotto is open between 10.30am and 4pm, and 11am to 4pm on Sundays!
For more, visit thelionyard.co.uk.
Trumpington Meadows
The annual Trumpington Meadows community carols, to be held tomorrow night (Friday, December 2) at the local centre outside Sainsbury’s from 6pm, will welcome real reindeer, Santa, elves and members of the City of Cambridge Brass Band. These attractions will all be accompanied by food vans and performers. Visit trumpingtonmeadows.org.uk/events/.
Scotsdales, Horningsea
Santa Claus is looking forward to meeting all the good boys and girls at the Scotsdales garden centre in Horningsea this festive season. To ensure the experience is enjoyable for all, group sizes are a suggested maximum of six people.
The man himself will be making appearance on the following dates: Saturday, December 3, Sunday, December 4, Saturday, December 10, Sunday, December 11, Saturday, December 17, Sunday, December 18, Thursday, December 22, Friday, December 23, and Saturday, December 2.
He will be there from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and weekdays and from 10am to 3.30pm on Sundays. Bear in mind, though, that the big man goes for his lunch from 1pm-1.30pm.
Child tickets are priced at £7, and this includes a present of their choice. Little ones under 18 months go free without a present. Please purchase a child ticket if you would like your baby to receive a gift. Adults go free.
Walk-in slots only - this is a non-bookable event - and an adult must accompany their child/group for the duration of the time spent there. Visit scotsdalegardencentre.co.uk/store/horningsea. Highlighting the popularity of the event, the Scotsdales garden centre in Great Shelford has sold out all of the slots for its Santa attraction.
Duxford Advent Market
Father Christmas will be paying a visit to the Duxford Advent Market, which returns of Saturday, December 10. The market is a festive, German-style event selling a variety of Christmassy wares and crafts.
Founded in 2011, the organisers aim to provide a fun evening for everyone in the true spirit of a traditional Christmas, as most villages and small towns in Germany do. For one evening only, the event is held in and around the redundant medieval church of St John’s, which has been bypassed by modernisation and is a wonderfully atmospheric venue.
There will be a wide variety of craft stalls, food and entertainment, as well as a visit from Santa Claus, who will takes Christmas stocking orders in his grotto. Visit duxadvent.com/advent-market.html.
Travellers Rest Beefeater, Girton
The restaurant is continuing its family fun throughout the festive season, with its interactive breakfast experience with the big man himself, with the return of Breakfast with Santa. an interactive dining experience and a meet-and-greet with Father Christmas.
The breakfast is available every Saturday and Sunday in December, plus every day from December 19-24. Book a 60-minute slot between 9-11.30am at beefeater.co.uk/en-gb/locations/cambridgeshire/travellers-rest. The Breakfast with Santa experience - plus 30 minutes of play - is £9.99 per child.
Shepreth Wildlife Park
You can also check out the Santa Experience at Shepreth Wildlife Park. Children can visit Father Christmas in his grotto, which is located adjacent to the park’s gift shop. The cost is £10 per child - which includes five minutes with Santa and a Christmas gift - and all funds raised go to support the park’s hedgehog rescue programme.
Pre-booking of a time slot is required, and this can be done at sheprethwildlifepark.co.uk/product/meetsanta/. Each child will need to be booked onto a separate time slot. For ease you can store each booking using the basket option in the booking system. The available dates are December 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24.
Audley End
All aboard the Santa Express as Clove and Nutmeg, the Audley End Miniature Railway station's nutcrackers, will board you on the train where the driver will navigate you to Father Christmas’s Winter Wonderland. Here you and your family will meet Father Christmas himself, along with his very helpful elves and receive a special gift. Don’t forget to look out for the 12 days of Christmas along the way too.
After your train ride, you will be greeted by Holly the Christmas fairy who will lead you into the new enchanted Fulfen forest. Lined with snowy fir trees, you will wind through the pathway to the reindeer feed factory where Berry and Mistletoe, the resident reindeer keepers, will help you create your own reindeer food package for you to leave out on Christmas Eve for Rudolph and his friends.
Once you’ve created your reindeer food package, you will then journey to the north pole post office where Quill, Stamp or Page will help you write a special letter to Father Christmas. Once stamped you can then post it to the man himself through a private post box.
Included in the ticket price is the train ride to meet Father Christmas and his elves, a gift for every child, letter writing, a snowy Christmas walk to the reindeer food factory, Mother Christmas’s storytelling show, and the adventure play area.
Booking is required - tickets will not be available to purchase on the day. The events run until December 24. Tickets for adults and children over 92cm are priced at £22-£25, children under 92cm are £11-£12.50, and children under the age of one get in free - as do carers of disabled visitors. Visit audley-end-railway.digitickets.co.uk/tickets.
