Celebrate the shortest day at Yuletide

Friday 22^nd December 2023 Tatton Park Gardens

Families can celebrate the shortest day of the year, otherwise known as the Winter Solstice, at a special event at Tatton Park Gardens on Friday 22^nd December.

The Solstice celebration is part of a new festive family experience called Yuletide, which is running at Tatton from Friday 24^th November until Sunday 23^rd December. It’s a unique blend of an outdoor Christmas festival and winter light trail, and is based on festive folklore, ridiculous rituals and forgotten traditions.

Tickets are on sale now at www.yuletide.org.uk, with time slots available between 3pm and 7.30pm. Images are available to download here .

Expect a night of music, torch lit processions, and walk about puppets to bring this already wonderful experience alive! Meet ‘The Lord of Misrule’ who ensures there is fun to be had at every turn, sing a song with the skeleton horse – Mari Llwyd, and share your Christmas wishes with the Yulegoat’s elves.

Families can also wrap up warm round a glowing campfire to watch live musicians, listen to campfire stories, toast marshmallows and even watch impressive fire jugglers. There will also be food vendors serving up tasty festive treats and mulled wine.

Visitors can then walk a glittering light trail through Tatton’s famous gardens. There will be lit installations, interactive light effects, illuminated puppets and costumed characters along the route, including some winter witches who have captured the moon and the sun, and shapeshifting snow hares who will play tricks on passersby.

Yuletide is created by the award-winning outdoor arts organisation Wild Rumpus, who run the popular Just So family festival and have also produced Lanterns at Cheshire Zoo for the past 6 years.

‘People have been marking the Winter Solstice for thousands of years, and now families have the chance to do it at Tatton Park!’, says Wild Rumpus Director Rowan Cannon. ‘It’s an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of winter and the start of the days getting longer. We’ll be celebrating with a special torchlit procession, as well as fire juggling, lots of music and storytelling. It’ll be such a cosy event to come to just before Christmas.’