The Dolphin Centre in Poole is preparing for the fast-approaching festive season with a variety of free family-friendly activities and extended opening hours.

Christmas officially makes its grand arrival at the centre on Thursday 1st December with Mrs Claus’ Kitchen interactive workshops and a programme of extensive seasonal events at GATHER, available throughout December. Additionally, all retailers at the Dolphin Centre will be open until 8pm every Thursday in the lead up to Christmas, and until 6pm on Christmas Eve.

Kicking off with Mrs Claus’ Kitchen on the first of the month, families are transported to a magical winter wonderland, festooned with seasonal decorations, festive props, and non-stop Christmas tunes. Littles ones will be welcomed by Mrs Claus and her merry elves to enjoy a gingerbread decorating workshop and other Christmas inspired arts and crafts.

John Grinnell, centre manager at the Dolphin Centre, said: “At this time of year it’s important to spread Christmas cheer and we have worked hard to provide a festive shopping experience for families to enjoy. The magic of Christmas is all about creating memories to last a lifetime and give back to others in the community. We’re excited to introduce Mrs Claus’ Kitchen for the first time which is a fun, interactive grotto that also gives visitors the opportunity to support a great local cause.”

Located on the first floor of the Dolphin Centre, Mrs Claus’ Kitchen runs on selected dates from Thursday 1st December to Saturday 24th December 2022. The free event is available to pre-book in 30-minute slots via Eventbrite and donations to support the Homelessness Partnership charity can be made on arrival.

In addition, the Dolphin Centre has confirmed national brands John Lewis and Rick Stein will be joining its Christmas offering for the first time with pop-up stores at the Dolphin’s Street Market on selected days. Poole based charity, Chestnut Nursery, joins the extensive festive line-up to sell seasonal houseplants between 14th-16th December, alongside several other local artisans and creators that will be retailing until January 2023.

Please visit www.eventbrite.co.uk and search Mrs Claus Kitchen to book. For further updates on the Christmas events offering, follow the Dolphin Centre on Facebook @DolphinShoppingCentre and Instagram @thedolphinpoole.