You can still visit Santa in his Grotto this Christmas at Wakefield's Trinity Walk - and it's free

Many things have changed over the last few months, but Santa is still determined to pay a visit to all the girls and boys in Wakefield this December.
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Wakefield's Trinity Walk will be welcoming the jolly man himself in his grotto next month - all socially distanced, of course.

You'll be able to say hello and have a photo taken with Santa outside his grotto - you'll just have to queue, and when it's your turn, step forward to the white fence outside the grotto where you can say hello to Santa while safely socially distancing before posing for your own photos.

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It's a free so check out the dates and time below. Contactless donations of £3 for Forget Me Not Children's Hospice welcome if you can, and it's free after 3pm parking every Thursday until Christmas too.

Wakefield's Trinity Walk will be welcoming the jolly man himself in his grotto next month - all socially distanced, of course.Wakefield's Trinity Walk will be welcoming the jolly man himself in his grotto next month - all socially distanced, of course.
Wakefield's Trinity Walk will be welcoming the jolly man himself in his grotto next month - all socially distanced, of course.

When visiting, please follow all instructions, stay socially distanced from others and Santa and use the hand sanitiser provided on every visit.

Dates to visit:

Thursday, 3 December 2020 4pm to 6pm

Friday, 5 December 2020 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Santa is coming to Wakefield!Santa is coming to Wakefield!
Santa is coming to Wakefield!

Saturday, 5 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Sunday, 6 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Wednesday, 9 December 2020 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Thursday, 10 December 2020 4pm to 6pm

Friday, 11 December 2020 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Saturday, 12 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Sunday, 13 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Wednesday, 16 December 2020 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Thursday, 17 December 2020 4pm to 6pm

Friday, 18 December 2020 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Saturday, 19 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Sunday, 20 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Monday, 21 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Tuesday, 22 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Wednesday, 23 December 2020 11am to 3pm

Lucy Grice, Marketing Manager at Trinity Walk, said: "It's been a tough year for everyone so we're doing everything we can to make sure Christmas isn't cancelled at Trinity Walk. That means the return of our full Christmas lights including the new giant bauble, our famous huge reindeer and of course our ever-popular Santa.

"As always it will be free to visit him, but for safety it will all be done with social distancing in mind. We'll have spaced queueing for families and when they get to the front they can say hi to Santa and pose for a picture with him outside of his grotto all while staying 2m apart for safety.

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"That way people can still experience their traditional Christmas visit, but all done as safely as possible.

"We're outside in the open air which really helps, but also covered by a high canopy which offers some protection from our great British weather too. As ever we'll be collecting donations for our charity partner Forget Me Not Children's Hospice, but this year it will be done via a £3 contactless card payment near the grotto.

"We also have our established Covid-19 safety systems and rules in place across the centre from one-way systems to hand sanitising stations, meaning people can shop safely and see Santa this Christmas.

"Free after 3pm Thursday parking returns throughout December too to give people extra chances to shop and support their high street this Christmas."

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Trinity Walk have also answered any questions you might have about your visit:

Is it safe?

It is as safe as can possibly be at this moment in time. You will get to meet Santa and have chance to get a picture with him while always remaining 2m apart. Santa will be the grotto side of the decorative white picket fence and visitors will be on the other side to maintain social distancing while still getting chance to get that Christmassy picture!

Do I need to wear a mask?

As the grotto is outside and people will be at least 2m apart from each other (and Santa), there's not a requirement to wear one - but anything that can help stop the spread of the virus is good, so if you're happy to wear one then please do. The other important thing in this area is to stay 2m or more apart from other households and keep your hands clean

Will Santa wear a mask?

As the grotto is outside and people will be at least 2m apart from him, there's no need for Santa to wear a mask.

What will happen with queueing?

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We have located the grotto on what's known as the Gullwing which is the big covered open air space near Argos and where our famous giant reindeer is. A queueing system will be in place which features markings on the floor for you to stand on - this is to make sure everyone stays at least. 2m apart while queueing. While queueing please do not let your children run around for everyone's safety.There will be enough space for around 20 groups to safely queue and as Santa will be visiting 4 to 5 times a week, there's plenty of chance to see him for free - reducing the chance of big queues.

How can we sanitise our hands while we queue?

Hand sanitiser will be provided in the Christmas area and just next to that area by the lifts opposite.

Can we hug or high five Santa?

Sorry, but not this year. This is to help stop the spread of Covid-19 to help keep everyone safe while keeping that Christmas magic going this year. Thanks for your understanding (please explain to the little ones so they know).

Anything else we should do?

Have fun! Please be considerate of others, make sure you queue on the markings 2m apart from other households/families, stay 2m apart from Santa and use the hand sanitise or your own. Please do not climb on the fences or barriers for everyone's safety. And don't forget your phone for pictures!

*As always, dates and times subject to change without notice.