If you are looking for ways to feel festive Derby has a host of Christmas delights on offer this December. The city will be aglow with festive cheer in the build-up to the big day, with activities available for all the family.
Why not head to Derby’s beautiful and historic Cathedral Quarter to take a spin around the ice rink, which will return to Market Place from December 5 to 31. The whole family can whizz around the covered rink before warming up with a delicious hot chocolate or mulled wine. Perfect for a family day out, a night out with friends or even a works Christmas party. There will even be themed sessions against the backdrop of some of the biggest hits of the 80s, 90s and 00s.
There are also fancy dress sessions, a Christmas party and a New Year’s Party too. If ice skating is not for you, sit back and relax in the special viewing platform, soaking up the festive decorations and Christmas tunes. Tickets for the ice rink range from £7 to £8.50. Once you are feeling suitably festive, Derby Cathedral Quarter offers excellent stores where you can pick up those last-minute presents. Or you can warm up in one of the area’s many cafes, restaurants or bars.
This year also sees the return of theatre troop The Babbling Vagabonds to the Guildhall Theatre, in Market Place, with their show The Christmas Toy Shop Mystery. Watch from December 9 to 30 as the colourful characters battle to save the unsold toys which look destined for the storeroom. Tickets cost from £14.
Meanwhile, Toad, Ratty, Mole and Badger will be heading to Derby Theatre, in Theatre Walk, for a festive performance of Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale will be brought to life on the stage in a beautiful adaptation suitable for all the family.
If you are still looking for ways to get festive Derby is offering all the fun of the panto as Aladdin comes to Derby Arena from December 9 to 31. Cold Feet’s John Thompson stars as the dastardly Abanazar, alongside award-winning pantomime dame Morgan Brind. The show promises all the fun of the traditional panto, along with breathtaking special effects and stunning costumes.
There is so much festive cheer to enjoy in Derby, you may want to make a weekend of it. Grand Central Apartments Derby offers great accommodation near Derby Business Park and other venues around the city. Our premium, luxury serviced apartments make a fantastic alternative to a hotel. All are fully furnished to a high standard and have modern kitchen facilities, so you can come and go as you please in a ‘home away from home.’ With one of our apartments, whether in our accommodation near Derby Business Park, in the upmarket Friars Gate area or in the quieter areas near to Derby Royal Hospital, you will have easy and quick access to all the fun and festivities Derby has to offer this Christmas.
