Santa’s Grotto Opens at Grosvenor Centre

Santa took his seat in “the best value grotto for miles around” on Saturday, delighting families with a winter wonderland featuring animatronic penguins and polar bears.

This year’s grotto at the Grosvenor Centre was delivered by Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) in collaboration with Northampton Town Council, Northampton College, Royal & Derngate and Rockin’ Roadmender, alongside the charity #brightspaceNN.

The attraction, located opposite Charlie Brown’s menswear on the Upper Mall, opened on Saturday, 23 November, and will welcome visitors from 10.30am to 4pm every weekend until Christmas, with a final session on Monday, 23 December. Tickets cost just £1, with all proceeds donated to charity.

Mark Mullen, operations manager at Northampton BID, said: “The grotto is our gift to the people of Northampton this Christmas. The support from our partners has been overwhelming, and to create something on this scale while keeping tickets at just £1 is an incredible achievement.

“We understand that times are tough for many, especially at Christmas, and we wanted to ensure every family in Northampton could visit Santa and create magical memories. The staff and students at Northampton College have done a fantastic job creating a stunning grotto, and our animatronic Arctic guests add an extra special touch. Families can enjoy professional photography or take their own photos for free – it truly is the best-value grotto around.”

Children visiting the grotto will receive gift bags provided by Northampton Town Council, including a specially designed colouring book by local artist Kardi Somerfield from Fridge Street.

The opening event also featured performances by the Break-Dancing Elves on the Upper Mall at 12.35pm, 1.30pm, 3pm and 4pm, while the Cheeky Balloonist Elves entertained families with free balloon models between 11am and 4pm.

For more information and booking details, visit Discover Northampton’s website.