Santa and his elves arrived at thecentre:mk in his big red sleigh, they were joined by a gingerbread man, snowman, ragdoll, teddy bear and a beautiful wish fairy on stilts, all who interacted and entertained the children as they glided down the mall. Santa opened his festive grotto as over 4,000 people from across the region gathered in Middleton Hall, to indulge in the festive atmosphere and seasonal magic.

Melanie Beck, head of advertising and communication at thecentre:mk comments “The Christmas parade at thecentre:mk was a fantastic 
success, there were so many families here to watch Santa and characters parade down the malls. Over the weekend the Christmas Storyland Adventure and Santa’s grotto, this year, has seen a significant increase in people not only visiting Santa but taking advantage of the free more interactive elements we have installed in the show. The Christmas Storyland adventure creates a beautiful festive spectacular in Middleton hall and we really hope everyone enjoys the more traditional and interactive elements of the show.”

Last year close to 3 million people visited the Christmas show and this year the thecentre:mk looks to mirror this success with the Christmas Storyland Adventure, which harks back to a more traditional festive theme with a greater emphasis on interactivity. Underneath the 35ft Christmas tree children can chase stars and jump to create shooting explosions. In the icy crystal forest where snowmen freeze, a virtual magical wish fairy will greet children with delicate chatter, all of which entertain visitors even before they have visited Santa’s grotto. 

For the first time ever thecentre:mk has illuminated the malls with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations, which cascade down to fill the height of the grand arcades. In addition to this, Wishlist Lane within the ‘Storyland Adventure’ hosts festive cabins, offering seasonal food and drink, as well as special gifts, perfect Christmas stocking fillers enhancing the retail offer over the Christmas period. A walk through wishing pool also creates a visual spectacular with proceeds going to two local charities; the ‘Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust’ and the ‘Milton Keynes and North Bucks RSPCA’.

In addition, visiting thecentre:mk this Christmas is made easier by later trading hours. As in previous years, customers and retailers will take advantage of extended trading hours in the weeks leading up to Christmas. From Monday 29 November, thecentre:mk and the Food Centre will be open as follows: weekdays 9am-9pm, Saturdays 9am-7pm and Sundays 11am-5pm. Parking will remain free after 6pm, to make late night and last minute shopping more affordable and accessible in the festive season. 

Booking for Santa’s Grotto can be made online by visiting www.thecentremk.com, closing on 24 December 2010 at 1pm. In addition, the Christmas Storyland Adventure will close on 29 December 2010.