A huge Christmas event in a Welsh town is not going ahead this year due to rising costs, dashing hopes that it would return after a forced two-year hiatus brought about by coronavirus. Carmarthen Winter Wonderland first opened in the town’s park in November, 2018.
The event, organised and run by Streamline Leisure, was a huge success, attracting around 6,000 in its opening weekend alone and thousands more during a five-week run which lasted through the Christmas period. You can keep up to date with the latest Carmarthenshire news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
Given that success, the event returned in an even bigger fashion in 2019 and offered visitors entertainment including an ice rink, numerous fairground rides and amusements, hot food, a Christmas market, a Santa’s Grotto, and Wales’ only ice bar. It also had a 40m-high swing that towered over Carmarthen Park and offered families the chance to enjoy a view of the town from above.
Read more: This is when Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland is opening for Christmas 2022
As the only Winter Wonderland attraction in Wales west of Swansea, it was hoped the event would become an annual highlight and a mainstay of Christmases in Carmarthen, along with other festive events in the town centre such as the reindeer parade and the annual Christmas lights switch-on. However, the outbreak of coronavirus in 2020 put paid to those hopes for that year.
A decision to cancel it was taken early on by organisers, one that proved wise given as the whole country was plunged into a full lockdown at midnight on December 20, 2020. In 2021, a decision was again taken not to hold the event as Covid-19 restrictions continued to play a large role in everyday life during different stages of the year.
Due to the success of the event in 2018 and 2019, and following an end to coronavirus restrictions in May of this year, many were hoping Carmarthen would once again be able to hail the return of its Winter Wonderland. However, a spokesman for Streamline Leisure has confirmed that the attraction will not return for 2022. The spokesman explained that “cost implications and general running costs have sky rocketed”, something that would mean passing the extra costs onto visitors by way of increased ticket and on-site prices. A similar Winter Wonderland experience is returning in Swansea for 2022 - you can read more about that here.
Streamline Leisure added that it was a “great shame” that the Carmarthen event could not go ahead, but stressed that it was not necessarily a permanent end for the attraction, with hopes that it could return in 2023. That hope is shared by Carmarthen Town Council, which is responsible for Carmarthen Park and runs a number of other events in the town in the run-up to the festive period. Carmarthen Mayor Miriam Moules said: “While we share the organiser’s disappointment that this event will not be happening this year, we remain hopeful that we will be able to welcome the event again in the future.”
Carmarthen Town Council has confirmed that other events will be taking place throughout November and December, starting with the Croeso Cynnes Caerfyrddin event on November 19, which will see entertainment throughout the town between 10am and 5pm, including an appearance from Santa Claus and his reindeer in Nott Square and the official switching on of the Christmas lights in nearby Guildhall Square.
There will also be elf stations around the town provided by the town council in partnership with Carmarthen BID and Menter Gorllewin Sir Gâr, providing a fun-filled day for families. Furthermore, the town council has confirmed that there will be family-friendly activities in the town centre every weekend after November 19, in the run-up to Christmas.
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