Santa's 'rabbit hole' grotto has magical twist in Torquay

Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland is coming to Torquay’s Fleet Walk. But this time it’s Santa’s turn for an adventure down the rabbit hole.

Torbay Sunrise Rotary Grotto will once again be transforming an empty unit in the town centre into a winter wonderland, bringing with it a magical blend of Christmas cheer and whimsical wonder. This year it is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and will feature appearances from beloved characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit, the King of Hearts and the Mad Hatter.

For the 34th year, the Rotary Club of Torbay Sunrise is inviting families to visit its Santa's Grotto, where they can meet Father Christmas, receive a special wrapped present and a keepsake photo for the family to treasure.

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There will be a grand opening on Saturday, November 16 where Santa and his sleigh will set off from Torquay ’s Town Hall car park at 1.30pm and will be followed by a band of animal characters provided by Children’s Week. They will travel down the High Street and arrive at Fleet Walk at 1.45pm where Steve Darling, MP will cut the ribbon and officiate the grand opening.

This will mark the start of the festive season alongside the switch-on of the Christmas lights in Torquay which takes place on the same day. The Grotto will be open on weekends from 16th November until 8th December and then every day from 14th December until 24th December allowing plenty of opportunities for families to enjoy the festive magic.

The event is run by the Rotary Club of Torbay Sunrise with help from Tormohun Rotary Club as well as volunteers from Torquay’s Ladies Circle and Mummy & Me. All proceeds from the event will go to Rotary charities, supporting great causes in the community including Children’s Hospice South West.

This town centre event is instigated by Fleetwalk Shopping Centre and created by Torbay Display. Hannah Brown said: “This has become one of the main attractions in Torbay over the Christmas period attracting hundreds of visitors each year who in turn spend in the car parks, Fleet Walk shopping and town centre retailers.”

Fleetwalk Rotary Grotto has many years of experience choosing quality toys that will appeal to a wide audience and then ensuring they are carefully gift-wrapped. This year, once again the toys are sponsored by Torbay Cemetery & Crematorium, part of the Westerleigh Group. Stephen Ainsworth, Crematorium Manager said: "We’re delighted to support Torbay Sunrise Rotary and to help bring so much festive joy to children in the local area".

President of Torbay Sunrise Linda Baker said: “We wanted to do something slightly different this year. We were inspired by an old comic book from the 50s where the night before Christmas, Santa was disturbed by a little girl named Alice who pleaded with him to bring Christmas to Wonderland.

"She led him to the rabbit hole entrance where he joined the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and lots of other magical characters for a festive tea party with lots of fun.”

The grotto is extending an invitation on Sunday, November 24 to local refugee children and their families so they can enjoy the magic of Christmas and Alice in Wonderland, all funded by the Torbay Sunrise Rotary Club. This is being organised by Julia Polutskaya on behalf of Ukranian and other refugee families in Torbay.

General tickets have now gone live and are available for purchase through EventBrite on a first-come first-served basis.

For more information, visit www.eventbriteco.uk and search for Santa’s Grotto 2024 or the Fleetwalk Grotto Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/fleetwalkgrotto.