Father Christmas in Cornwall at the Eden Project
For a truly magical experience for the family, take a trip to the Eden Project in the coming weeks and be ready to be enthralled.
Last week I took my reluctant teenager and whilst he arrived with an indifferent opinion of the evening ahead, even he was captivated by it all and we both left with a warm feeling from having experienced something special. Cleverly targeting all age groups it is yet another Eden experience that will leave a lasting memory.
After a short visit to see Santa’s reindeer we headed off for a session on the ice rink. Having had two visits in the last month I can already see improvements in my limited skating abilities and I only fell over once!
Our next visit was to the Mediterranean biome for a bite of supper. Music filled the air and enormous paella pans were brimming with foods offering vegetarian and seafood/meat options. It was delicious.
I have to be honest and confess that we were going to skip the visit to Father Christmas but intrigued by the oversized dome tent, we’re so glad we didn’t. A lot of thought and effort has gone into creating this grotto: there was a large fire pit in the middle creating contrasting warmth on a chilly evening; a couple of colourful sets of elf bunk beds adorned with elf clutter; lots of twinkly lights; letters to Father Christmas covering the walls and in the middle, a rotund but perfectly formed Father Christmas addressing the audience with funny stories about his reindeer and their playful antics.
Whilst I haven’t been to Lapland, it is the best Santa experience I have been to. The gift of a silver bell in a pouch, which as you know you need to shake in the lead-up to Christmas to help give the reindeer the energy for their long journey around the world on Christmas Eve, captivated both adults and children.
The finale was a lantern procession outside the biomes. The solo vocalist on the bandstand sang a few enchanting songs whilst behind him a very large Christmas tree sculpture lit up the night sky, quite literally, as flames followed the outline of the tree from its base to the top at which point a cascade of sparkling fireworks completed the picture. Just as we were marvelling at it all further fireworks erupted which was a magical touch which will be a lasting memory for a long time to come.
Looking at the Eden website several dates are already sold out so if you plan on treating the family don’t leave it too long before booking. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did!