Impact Features writers are getting out and about in Nottingham to find the best activities for you all to have a go at. Get in touch if you have more ideas!
It’s the Christmas season so what does that mean? Markets opening up in almost every city, no matter how small, across the UK. It’s fair to say that this Nottingham experience is pretty hard to miss with its prime location in the middle of Old Market Square. In fact, Nottingham’s city centre has become engulfed by the Winter Wonderland, a Christmas market that opened on November 20th and will continue until January 3rd.
Firstly, not only is it convenient and frankly unmissable, but the warm glow of amber lights and the snow-topped roofs of each market stall entirely capture the Christmas spirit. Not only does it look idyllic, but it also offers a range of gifts, food and fun and games for everyone to enjoy.
Where better to find a semi-personal gift for loved ones than at a market? With many goods on offer, from a vast array of Christmas decorations to brightly coloured star shaped lanterns, there will be something there to appease those difficult to buy for friends and relatives. If all else fails, then maybe a Christmas bonsai tree might hit the spot.
Frankly it wouldn’t be a Christmas market without the offering of warm food to make braving the cold weather in order to walk around outside seem worth it. The Winter Wonderland certainly doesn’t fail to deliver. There’s a variety of food available, with several stalls offering sweet and savoury options, and even a helter skelter bar that really stands out from the traditional market place feel. For the more adventurous there’s ostrich burgers and venison, but if you don’t feel like eating Rudolph this early into Christmas there’s plenty of other hot food available to keep the winter chill at bay.
“For the more adventurous there’s ostrich burgers and venison”
Finally, if food and gifts are not enough to tempt you out of the house, there are also a handful of activities to get involved in, from your typical fairground attractions to a decent sized ice rink. Being a poor ice skater myself, the idea of skating on an outdoor rink was daunting, but once I had fallen over at least once, skating around a Christmas tree really got the festive spirit going.
With term having ended, it’s likely that many of you have already experienced the festive cheer the market brings, but if you still haven’t had the chance to visit, make sure you give it a look. The Nottingham Winter Wonderland is definitely an unmissable experience on the countdown to Christmas.
Ellis Harris
Featured image: Elliott Brown via Flickr. Embedded image: Simon Osborne via Flickr
