CHRISTMAS MAGIC ARRIVES AT OVERGATE, DUNDEE

It’s the most magical time of the year and Overgate in Dundee is guaranteeing an extra special Christmas this year with the announcement of its in-centre festive activity.

Nothing says Christmas is coming quite like Overgate’s unmissable Santa’s Grotto. This year from 15^th – 24^th December between 12pm - 5pm join Santa and his helpers Twiglet and Woodlandia as they welcome excited children into their magical Enchanted Forest.  Entering through a giant wardrobe, children will be transported into a magical woodland with twinkling lights and music. Once inside, the children will have the opportunity to visit the wishing woodpile where they can create their own wishing star decoration to take home, as well as enjoy festive storytelling.

Helping Santa launch the Enchanted Forest Grotto on the 15^th at 11.30am will be Help for Kids and children from local nursery Lisa’s Little Rascals. The Archie Foundation along with children from Daisies Kindergarten will continue the launch celebrations on the 16^th at 1pm.

The Enchanted Forest Grotto is open to the public daily from the 15^th December and admission is free.

Augmenting Overgate’s festive offering further will be fantastic feel-good entertainment in the centre throughout December. This includes Late Night Christmas Shopping Nights which will see retailers open until 9pm on Thursdays as well as extended hours mid-week and also Sundays for the final countdown.

A range of partners will put the fun into festive at these Late Night Christmas Shopping Nights including Dundee’s popular Club Tropicana who will stage takeovers along with sampling by Malmaison. On Thursday 15^th December, shoppers can enjoy Overgate’s Pamper Event with taster treatments and samples from Elemis and Clarins at Debenhams. Tastebuds will be tempted too with Club Tropicana’s chocolate fountain and Malmaison’s pop up bar. There is also a competition with a prize from the Yu Spa at Apex Hotel of a full body massage that shoppers can enter in to on the night.

Overgate staff and retailers are set to embrace Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 16^th December with a donation being made to Help for Kids. Joining the Overgate team this day, and bringing their own heartwarming festive cheer will be four choirs between 12pm -3.30pm – Dundee Nativity, St Clement’s RC Primary School, U3A Folk Group and Dundee Strathspey & Reel Society.

On 22^nd December, as part of Overgate’s Late Night Christmas Shopping, the Overgate Christmas Competition will see one lucky shopper win a £200 Overgate gift card with Tropicana DJs providing a light soundtrack again along with Malmaison presenting their pop up sample bar.

In keeping with the season of goodwill, the Help for Kids Giving Tree will once again be located outside Debenhams, where public gift donations will be collated before being distributed by the Help for Kids team. Last year over £10,000 worth of gifts were collected and distributed by the Social Work Department, and Overgate has already collected over 150 items for Christmas 2016

Speaking about Christmas at Overgate, Centre Manager, Malcolm Angus said,

“This year’s Christmas at Overgate promises to be extra special with our fantastic Santa’s Enchanted Forest Grotto running daily, and free to all, from the 15^th December. We’re putting the fun into festive too with entertainment throughout the centre at our late night Christmas shopping nights. Plus with convenient parking and over 60 big name retailers, as well as a wide range of food and drink operators, we look forward to welcoming everyone to Overgate for the Christmas countdown.”