As November chimes into December and children’s glassy-eyed festive wonder threatens to boil over into mutinous hyperactive carnage, Manchester’s family-friendly events schedule offers more than enough entertaining diversions to quell the excitement until 4.30am Christmas morning.
From immersive theatre in Sale to Santa meet-and-greets in Chadderton, here are some of the best family days out around the region this month.
Led by comedic superstar Jason Manford as Captain Hook alongside Britain’s Got Talent finalist Ben Nickless as Smee, The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan transports families on a swashbuckling journey to Neverland in a cavalcade of ‘amazing special effects, stunning sets, beautiful costumes and barrel-loads of laughter’, with performances at 1.30pm and 2pm throughout the month.
With Santa, his elves and a full brass band as fellow passengers, the East Lancashire Railway’s 80-minute Christmas voyage from Bury to Rawtenstall and back is the North West’s answer to the Polar Express. Beginning with a wonderland scene at Bury Bolton Street Station, the journey features a sing-a-long, a choice of soft drinks and a free gift for every child, a choice of somewhat stiffer drinks and a mince pie per adult, and an improved range of kids’ entertainment.
East Lancashire Railway runs several Santa’s Specials throughout the day – check out the timetable here.
The event also offers tickets to a Christmas Shuttle Bus from Heywood to Bury Bolton Street.
Alongside all the usual peerless family entertainment at Lancaster Park – a petting barn, a caterpillar ride, a pirate shootout, mini quad bikes, swings, slides, ziplines and, somehow, much more – the farm hosts a Christmas extravaganza from 9am-3.30pm on selected dates throughout December. With a team Elves on hand along the way, Guests can join Mrs. Claus for stories in her Cosy Cottage, take a seat in Santa’s life-sized sleigh and meet him in person with a small gift included for every child.
Part of their fabulously diverse Christmas programme, the world-famous Hallé Orchestra presents an engaging festive song-and-dance performance on the morning of Sun 4 Dec, which enlists an audience of Santa’s Little Helpers in a wild race against time to recover the map he lost on a practice run of his Christmas delivery route.
With plenty of audience interaction and musical influences ranging from rock to reggae, David Gibb’s Family Jukebox proves parents and children alike with a wonderfully entertaining afternoon of singing and dancing, as Gibb transports guests through his expansive imagination ‘where wolves roam the school corridors, dragons live under the bed and teddy bears dance the night away at the disco’.
Offering a casual, serene atmosphere with a range of performances, creative activities and ‘festive family fun’ throughout the day until around 4pm, the RNCM host a screening of children’s classic The Gruffalo backed by a world-renowned live orchestra.
With interactive exhibits, spellbinding installations and an enchanting illuminated trail, award-winning lantern and light festival Lightopia returns to Heaton Park with an audiovisual feast full of brand new features, an immersive water show and themes of hope and rebirth represented by their world-famous Phoenix.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Thu 1 Dec 2022
Running at Sale’s Waterside Arts until New Year’s Eve, The Man Who Wanted To Be A Penguin brings family-friendly ‘playful energy’ and a mix of puppetry, music and song to follow the story of an extraordinary explorer whose journey to Antarctica celebrates ‘wild creativity and the joy of individuality’. For interactive daytime entertainment in South Manchester, you can book tickets to performances at 10.30am, 11am, 1.30pm or 2pm.