Santa coming to Foyleside Shopping Centre in Derry next weekend

The festivities begin at 11am on Saturday.

And the celebrations don’t stop at Santa visiting – visitors can channel their inner creative elf and embrace the Christmas spirit with reindeer cupcake decorating, antler hat making and lollipop penguin crafting! There will also be popular Christmas characters as well as face painting, balloon modelling and confetti cannons.

According to Foyleside Shopping Centre, Santa himself has said: “I cannot wait to return to Foyleside Shopping Centre this Christmas. It’s a fantastic place to stop over when travelling from the North Pole before I fly all around the world to visit other boys and girls on the Nice List. It’s perfect if I ever need some extra presents as Foyleside is always full of especially good boys and girls!”

Fergal Rafferty, Centre Manager of Foyleside, said: “There’s always a great buzz during Christmas time at Foyleside, especially this year as the centre will be full of wonderful entertainment for everyone that visits as well as our spectacular Winter-themed decorations. We also have everything under the one roof when it comes to stocking up on presents – from the latest gadgets and electronics, to seasonal fashion trends, and Foyleside gift cards for that special person who’s impossible to buy for!”

This Christmas season will also see the return of the highly requested Silent Santa initiative, where the Foyleside grotto will be open each Wednesday evening from 6-8pm until December 11. This will provide a calm environment so children with particular needs can enjoy a hassle-free experience when visiting Father Christmas.