Glasgow has the ideal Christmas all wrapped up
From super shopping to rollicking good pantos ....
ONCE, our continental cousins led the way at Christmas, with whole cities transformed for the festive season. But here in Scotland we have now caught up in style, as Glasgow Loves Christmas proves. The festive celebrations bring visitors and locals alike flocking to magical events, spectacular shopping and festive fun in the heart of our biggest city. Check out the impressive House of Fraser Christmas lights, the St Enoch Centre’s colourful reindeer or the stunning suspended Christmas tree in Princes Square.
Santa’s grotto in the St Enoch Centre is now open, so give the children a chance to meet the man himself before he heads back to the North Pole with his trusty reindeer and elves on December 24.
The traditional Glasgow Christmas Market returns to St Enoch Square with a vast array of gastronomic treats, festive tipples and unique gifts.
This year the city has even more to explore with the launch of a market at George Square on Saturday, November 26.
The following day, get your dancing shoes on and join the Glasgow Style Mile Carnival for a musical spectacular. Starting at the St Enoch Centre at 2.30pm, the carnival will wend its way through the city centre, finishing at George Square.
The festive fun continues on December 7 when, beneath the city’s Christmas lights and with a chorus of singers, the traditional blessing of the crib takes place in George Square at 6.30pm, with the Lord Provost of Glasgow. This free event is open to all.
And panto season is upon us – oh, yes, it is! – with plenty of shows to delight young and old. From traditional to classic there’s lots of Glasgow humour to enjoy.
In The Snaw Queen at Tron Theatre (November 29-January 7), the eponymous evildoer tries to keep Christmas out of Weegietown.
From December 2-January 8, you can see Cinderella at the King’s Theatre, or Aladdin at the Clyde Auditorium from December 10-31.
Enjoy a singalong at the RSNO Christmas Concert on December 17, or enjoy Scottish Ballet’s Hansel & Gretel from January 5-14.
Fancy some pre-Christmas exercise? Then sign up for the 5K Santa Dash on December 11. Get on your Father Christmas suit and join thousands of others on a jog through the streets. Adults, children and even dogs are welcome.
Meanwhile, for gift hunters Glasgow rivals London’s Oxford Street for a shopping experience.
The biggest brands and major retailers can be found in the Style Mile, with many of the stores open until late.
After a hard day’s shopping, savour the flavours and Art Deco ambience at Rogano on Exchange Place, Glasgow’s oldest surviving restaurant in the heart of the city.
Or try a delicious traditional afternoon tea at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed Willow Tea Rooms on busy Buchanan Street.
How about indulging in a cocktail at The Anchor Line, linked to the great days of transatlantic liners, set in completely restored A-listed first-class booking offices at 12–16 St Vincent Place?
Full details on the shows and all festivities can be found at glasgowloveschristmas.com