Christmas Events

Source: The List (Issue 619)
Date: 11 December 2008
Written by: Kirstin Innes

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Ho, ho, ho . . . ?

Struggling to get into the Christmas mood this year? Kirstin Innes rounds up a few handy festive events

In Glasgow, as ever, the Winterfest hubbub centres around George Square, gleefully decked out with the traditional mass of clashing, colourful lights. As well as the huge outdoor ice rink, the Big Stage is keeping stressed shoppers calm with a whole lotta live music. Quite the nicest wee treat they’ve got in store for you happens on the 21st December, when the RSNO Choir are on hand for a calming Carol Concert from 4–6pm. Did you do all your shopping online months ago and have no intention of entering the city centre until at least February? We applaud your organisational skillz, and probably hate you. You can still get a little festive feeling – and for free – at Kelvingrove Museum, where the excellently-named exhibition Oh Yes It Is! charts the history of the humble Christmas panto in Scotland in all its cross-dressing, thigh-slapping glory. If all that isn’t quite thrilling enough for you, head out to the Irn Bru Carnival at the SECC – the Christmas activity equivalent of an E-number fuelled sugar rush.

Over in Edinburgh, the twinkly Winter Wonderland in Princes Street Gardens is already up, running and instilling good cheer into the hearts of beleagured consumers. Traditionalists might like to check out the range of events at Lauriston Castle – there’s a series of workshops to help you create Christmas crafts, and a talk on our national seasonal traditions (Friday 12 December). Over on the other side of town, the Royal Highland Centre’s Christmas and New Year’s Carnival will be giving good festive thrills from Friday 19th December, with slides, rides and a particularly warm ‘n’ fuzzy-sounding event called The Meshams’ Wall of Death Motorcycle Stunt Show. Of course, if it’s a real white-Christmas-knuckle experience you’re after, check out the City of the Dead’s Festive Fright Fest tours from Saturday 27 December. Rather more traditionally, there’s a four-choir-strong Christmas Choral Concert throughout the day of Sunday 14 December at the National Museum of Scotland.

Finally, if you’re one of those proper Christmas junkies who really gets into the spirit of it, why not pour your enthusiasm into a good cause this year? On Sunday 14 December, both Edinburgh and Glasgow’s city centres will be overrun by a swarm of red and white, as the Santa Dash (Glasgow) and the rather more sedate Santa Stroll (Edinburgh) encourage you to dress up like, er, Santa, and take to the streets. The Edinburgh event ends up in the Grassmarket, with All A Twinkle, a festive street theatre and light show.

More: Days out, All A Twinkle, Big Stage, Carol Concert, Christmas, Christmas and New Year’s Carnival, Christmas Choral Concert, Festive Fright Fest, Lauriston Castle, Oh Yes It Is!, Santa Dash, Santa Stroll, The Meshams’ Wall of Death Motorcycle Stunt Show, Winter Wonderland, Winterfest