The outdoor ice rink is back in town for another season of wintery fun
Now in its sixth year, North Pole Cambridge has become a comforting festive fixture on Parker’s Piece, heralding the arrival of the Christmas season and twinkling invitingly right the way through to the new year. Launching on 17 November and running until 8 January, this year’s event will be delivering the usual dose of Christmassy magic, complete with ice skating, stalls, rides and food and drink.
As ever, at the heart of the attraction will be a huge open-air rink, offering 600 metres of gleaming ice to glide around on. If you’ve got children with you, pop along during the ‘mamas and papas’ sessions during the day, where families with younger kids get the rink to themselves and have the opportunity to pick up new skate skills.
Warm up after at the Alpine Cabin Bar, a cosy undercover wooden lodge serving hot chocolates, mulled wine, festive cocktails and seasonal drinks which you can enjoy while you watch the skaters taking to the ice. If you’re feeling peckish, there will be all sorts of traditional food treats to enjoy, including German bratwurst from the swing grill, gourmet burgers, fish and chips and churros.
Elsewhere, have a go on bungee trampolines, Santa’s slay rides, penguin bumper cars, ski slope and a multitude of games. There are also fairground rides including the 32-metre high big wheel, which offers spectacular views out across the city, plus there’s a chance to get a special souvenir of your day to capture your festive fun.
“This year we are working very hard to offer visitors a different type of festive experience and the festival will be focused around celebrating winter and our traditions”, said Richard Elmer from The North Pole team. “There are lots of Christmas markets in the UK and this year we want to bring a new look and feel, and draw on the popular festival vibe. We are hoping to attract more visitors during the period and are delighted to be working with local businesses to make this an event for all of the city to enjoy.”
Adult ice skating tickets are priced at £11.50 and £9.50 for children under 12 years. A family skate ticket (for four) is available for £36.
www.thenorthpolecambridge.co.uk
