Cheltenham’s Beechwood shopping centre is gearing up for Christmas with a full programme of activities in the centre for the day of the town’s Christmas lights switch-on on Saturday, November 19.
The fun will include a rocking rodeo reindeer ride with a prize for whoever stays on the longest.
The town lights switch-on will be at 5.30pm but the day-long events in Beechwood start with a children’s facepainter who will arrive at 10am until 4pm – and it’s free.
Santa will be there from about 11am until 3pm giving out sweets to the youngsters and there’ll also be a chance for children to have their photos taken with him.
Beechwood’s own mascot character Beechwood Bear will also be handing out balloons at various times during the day.
The rodeo reindeer will be in Beechwood’s centre circle from 11am to 4pm and a stilt walking balloon modelling elf will be entertaining the youngsters and making different balloon shapes - and again it’s all free.
A Christmas carol singing quartet will perform from midday until 3pm, singing favourite carols and other Christmas songs and the Heart FM Angels will be handing out hot chocolate and mince pies to shoppers from mid-afternoon.
Heart’s Drivetime presenter Neil Bentley, with help from Santa and Beechwood Bear, will begin the countdown to the lights switch-on and the Everyman Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime characters will join the parade from Beechwood’s front entrance for the switch-on at 5.30pm.
