Get your skates on for a visit to Bristol this winter

December is here, the Christmas countdown is on and Bristol is the place to be for a winter wonderland of festive events and celebrations. Visit Bristol for a short break, a shopping trip or to simply soak up the atmosphere as the city sparkles with light and colour. There is so much to unwrap this winter that a special website visitbristol.co.uk/winter has been created to showcase the array of seasonal activities taking place in the city.

Destination Bristol, the destination management partnership for Bristol & South Gloucestershire, has developed the website as a ‘one stop shop’ providing details of every Christmas activity and winter event imaginable. It has been designed for both residents and tourists alike.

Kerrie Grist, Marketing Executive for Destination Bristol said, “Visitors to the site will find everything they need to know from ice skating and carol concerts to christmas shows and meeting Father Christmas. Visitbristol.co.uk/winter is designed to raise the profile of the city and bring benefits to our members and local traders by promoting Bristol as an excellent winter destination.”

Bristol Winter Highlights:

Ice Skating...
For the first time this year there is a special ice-rink on the terrace of the Avon Gorge Hotel. Skate against the beautiful backdrop of the illuminated Clifton Suspension Bridge until 21st December 2008. Other ice-skating opportunities include special family disco sessions and ice-karting at Bristol Ice Rink and the ever popular outdoor ice-rink at the Mall Cribbs Causeway shopping centre will be open until 4th January 2009.

Santa Spotting...
Climb aboard a twinkling Bristol Ferry Boat for the chance to enjoy a magical sailing around Bristol’s exciting harbour with Santa!

Other places to spot Santa in Bristol, include a special grotto at Bristol Zoo Gardens or find him at the Mall Bristol or in his castle at the Mall Cribbs Causeway. There is a special SantaLand at Wookey Hole Caves or get yourself booked onto a Santa Steam Special at Avon Valley Railway, complete with a mince pie for Mum and Dad!

Christmas is set to be a cracker at Brunel’s ss Great Britain too - join Santa and carol singers over mulled wine, and hot roasted chestnuts, plus walnut-gilding and gift making workshops on 13 & 14 December. On December 17 & 18 enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch in the First Class Dining Saloon.

Carol Services...
Visit Bristol Zoo Gardens for an evening of beautiful carol singing (20 – 21 December 6pm-8pm), complete with a bonfire, spectacular animal lights, hot mulled wine and minced pies. Three animal houses will also be open late.

For a more traditional carol service, Bristol Cathedral on College Green has various themed services leading right up into the New Year, whilst John Wesley’s Chapel, the first Methodist building in the world, is hosting carol services followed by coffee and mince pies on 16 & 18 December. St Mary Redcliffe Church has various events including Carols by Candlelight on Sunday 21 December.

Christmas Shows and Panto...
Don’t miss out on attending the best ball in Bristol this year when Cinderella hits the stage of The Bristol Hippodrome from 12 December -11 January. This fantastic production has stunning sets and costumes, amazing song and dance routines, romance, laughter, audience participation and real Shetland ponies. Starring, Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney, top comedian Bobby Davro and Michelle Collins, best known as Cindy Beale in EastEnders.

Other Christmas treats for the whole family include the famous ‘Snowman’ at the Colston Hall on December 21 and ‘A Christmas Carol’ running at the Tobacco Factory Theatre from December 11 to January 18.

Non-Christmassy Events...
Bristol is also home to many non-festive events and activities to keep you busy this winter. Visit the Planetarium at Explore-at-Bristol for the special Winter Night Sky. Join this presenter-led show to find out about the space we can see this winter, running daily from Tuesday 16 December through to March 2009. Free with a ticket to Explore.

Beat off the winter blues with a Pirate Walk around Bristol's ancient harbour. Tours running every day including Christmas Day.

Don your finest garb, be it black-tie or tartan, for the 250th anniversary celebrations of Burns Night, on board Brunel’s ss Great Britain on 24 January 2009. Enjoy hot toddies on the Promenade Deck, followed by a sumptuous banquet in the First Class Dining Saloon, and poetry from Scotland’s favourite bard, Robert Burns.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is back in Bristol from 13 December - 11 January. 'Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008' showcases the most prestigious wildlife and nature photography competition of its kind in the world and is one of the most popular exhibitions at Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery. Entrance is free.

Winter Warmers on Bristol’s Doorstep...
Out and about, Bristol offers an abundance of winter treats. Among the treasures, discover Tyntesfield, a National Trust property just a stone’s throw from the city. Every weekend throughout December, children will be able to find clues leading them to Father Christmas’s grotto where they will receive a special present. Festive tours of the gardens and bookings for carol concerts are also taking place.

Further afield see Santa Claus in his cave at Cheddar Caves & Gorge and don’t miss the magic of Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum. Take a walk through the famous Enchanted Wood and explore The National Arboretum lit up at night. See Father Christmas plus lots of other festive excitement. Now in its 12th year this event is attended by around 30,000 people each year.

Shopping and Christmas Markets...
Other distinctive features on the winter website include a guide to Christmas shopping covering Christmas store opening hours, great gift ideas, places to shop plus Christmas markets and festive fayres.

Visit Cabot Circus – Bristol’s new £500 million shopping and leisure development as it celebrates its first Christmas. Shoppers will be treated to enchanting entertainment with wandering street performers, colourful costumes and a spectacular giant snow globe from Saturday 6th December. The new shopping quarter includes a landmark House of Fraser store and a Harvey Nichols boutique catapulting Bristol into the elite of UK shopping destinations. In addition, the historic buildings at Quakers Friars have become the centrepiece of a new European style piazza, featuring apartments, restaurants, cafes and a 13-screen cinema, as well as a brasserie from internationally-renowned French chef Raymond Blanc.

Alternatively, Bristol is home to many fantastic markets. Find special gifts and tasty Christmas treats at the historic St Nicholas Market at the Corn Exchange. The weekly Farmers Market takes place every Wednesday.

There is also a Christmas Market on Castle Park, open daily until Sunday 21 December 2008 from 10am to 10pm. The market features a collection of German style trading huts selling a range of products such as confectionery, cheeses, crepes, candles, festive clothing and pottery plus the added attractions of a Bavarian style beer house and a Giant Wheel providing shoppers and visitors with a distinctively different view of Bristol’s skyline.

Special offers and Festive Packages...
Visitors to the winter website site can also take advantage of a free Christmas party and New Year’s Eve venue-finding service under the Eating & Drinking section and provides staying visitors with accommodation and festive short-break offers.

Visitors and residents can benefit from great savings when you travel to Bristol with First Great Western trains. Take a train journey before end May 2009 and qualify for 2 for 1 entry into many of Bristol’s favourite attractions, such as Bristol Zoo Gardens, Explore-At-Bristol, Brunel’s ss Great Britain and many other fantastic offers, including hotel and restaurants discounts. See firstgreatwestern.co.uk/2for1offers for details.

Kerrie Grist said, “As well as visitors to the city, I’m sure local people will also find the website a very useful tool to discover events and promotions on their doorstep! If like me you are seeking original ideas on where to take the children to see Santa or are seeking novel suggestions for New Year then visitbristol.co.uk/winter could have the answer.”

For further details about all of the above events and more, the winter in Bristol website is now live at Visitbristol.co.uk/winter.