There are some brilliant festive events happening around Birmingham this Christmas that won't cost you a penny! You can see Santa at a grotto and get a free gift and photo!
Go for a festive afternoon out at a Christmas market and even tuck into breakfast or supper with Santa for free. Other grottos are taking place which just cost around £6 or £7 per child, which is considerably cheaper than paying for the whole family to go to a festive attraction.
Not surprisingly, tickets to lots of these free and cheap festive events are being snapped up fast so you'll need to get in quick to book yours. Be sure to check times and availability beforehand to avoid disappointment. Take a look at our guide to Christmas lights too.
Read more: Christmas 2023 events you'll want to book tickets for now around Birmingham
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Father Christmas at Cathedral Square Market
Cathedral Square Market is a lovely place to take the kids for a free festive afternoon out. But, on Saturday December 2, there will be a very special guest!
Father Christmas will pay the market a visit from 11am to 3pm. Santa will walk around the square offering a chance for families to meet him free-of-charge - and he will even be giving out free gifts.
Colmore BID will provide a photographer to give all families the opportunity to make memories and access their images from Colmore BID’s Facebook page.
Christmas in Cathedral Square runs from Wednesday November 15 to Sunday December 17, 2023. The market is open Monday to Wednesday from 11am to 8pm, Thursday to Saturday from 11am to 9pm, and Sunday from 12.30pm to 8pm. Find out more via the Colmore Business District website.
Listen to our Brummie Mummies 2023 Christmas Podcast here:
Breakfast or supper with Santa at IKEA
You can enjoy breakfast or supper with Santa and his elves in the IKEA restaurant in Wednesbury this December so long as you're an IKEA Family member. There's also craft activities and character appearances to keep the little ones entertained.
Taking place on selected dates from November 26, each child receives a free breakfast, in addition to a small gift from Santa. For everyone else, breakfast and drinks will be available for purchase until 11am, starting from just £2.50. You'll need to be quick as tickets are selling out fast. Find out more and book here
You can also pop in for the Big Festive Weekend on December 9 and 10 between 10am-4pm for a weekend of free festive fun for the whole family. No need to book tickets, there will be everything from crafts, food sampling and entertainment. Look out for gingerbread decorating on selected dates from December 2 to 17. No need to book, you can just turn up. Find out more here. And you can post a letter to Santa any time between Saturday November 25 and Thursday December 14 in the store.
Snowdogs Christmas Trail
We've been trying out the Snowdog trail to discover all the sculptures in key locations around the city. And they are so cute! You can find Starry Night in Centenary Square, Ru-dog at the German Christmas Market, Elf at the Christmas in Cathedral Square Market and Candy Cane in the Great Western Arcade.
Then there's the Classic Snowdog on Corporation Street, Roodie in the Piccadilly Arcade, Sparkle at The Mailbox, Ginger in Southside, Bark the Herald Angels Sing in Bullring and Gizmo in Selfridges. Snowdogs Discover Birmingham is Central BID’s annual Christmas trail, in partnership with Colmore BID, Southside BID, Westside BID and Frankfurt Christmas Market.
Find out more about the Snowdog trail and download a free map here
Free Santa Grotto at Tesco
Tesco has introduced free grottos into some of its superstores. Each child gets a chance to write a letter to Santa, post it into a special mailbox and meet Father Christmas. They then receive a free, age-appropriate gift and also a digital photo too.
The initiative, taking place in Tesco Extra stores all around Birmingham, is proving so popular that many slots have already sold out. When we looked on the website on November 10, we discovered there was just one superstore that still had availability - the Bedworth Extra store, which is around a 30 minute drive from Birmingham city centre.
The event is happening at Tesco Extra stores in Yardley, Solihull, West Bromwich, Dudley, Kidderminster, Walsall Brownhills and Redditch to name a few but these are currently fully booked. It may be worth checking the Tesco website here to see if there are any cancellations.
There are also slots available in Banbury, Hanley, Northampton, Crewe and Manchester if you wanted to book in and make a day of it, visiting a new area and seeing their Christmas lights, markets and festive attractions.
Touchwood Santa's Grotto plus The Gruffalo, Polar Bear and The Grinch
Touchwood is set to sparkle this Christmas, with the return of Santa’s Grotto. Open every day from Saturday November 25 until Christmas Eve. And there's a special treat ahead of this with a Grinch Takeover of the grotto on November 18 and 19. Get ready for some chaos!
Then, on Saturday November 25, there will be a special appearance from ‘Bjorn the Polar Bear’. The animatronic character will be putting on an interactive show for the whole family to enjoy. And there will also be a screening of ‘The Snowman and The Snowdog’ too.
And, on Saturday December 9, you can meet The Gruffalo as he emerges from the forest to roam the malls of Touchwood! Rounding off the festivities, the Salvation Army will be at the centre on Saturday December 16 to collect gift donations for families who are struggling this Christmas. Grotto tickets cost £6 per child. Find out more and book the Santa grotto here
Neverland Fun House Santa Grotto
Peter Pan themed Neverland Fun House in Erdington is hosting a Santa grotto this year plus there will be a special festive menu too.
The soft play centre is now opening in the evenings so that families can enjoy authentic home cooked Greek food whilst the kids play for free. Find out more via the Neverland Funhouse website here or call 07975768533 to book a table or grotto visit.
Santa's Grotto at Kingfisher Centre Redditch
The Santa grotto is back at the Kingfisher Centre in Redditch for 2023. Located on Park Walk, between Coffee #1 and Waterstones, families can go on a festive journey through Kingfisher’s ‘Christmas Tree Farm’.
The grotto launches on November 24 - the day before the Christmas lights are switched on by Peter Andre on November 25 - and it marks the start of the festivities in the town.
At the Grotto, guests will be invited to head to Santa’s ‘Potting Station’ to plant a magic bean. Once made, visitors will place their pot in ‘Santa’s Magical Growing Chamber’ and watch it return as a tree-mendous miniature Christmas tree.
As the tree grows, children will be invited to meet Father Christmas, before heading into the Decoration Station with their miniature tree to make them sparkle and shine.
Tickets can be booked here, with a limited number of walk-ins available on the day. Tickets cost £7 per child, which includes the experience and mini Christmas tree to take home. There's also dedicated Quiet Hours sessions on selected dates too.
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