Celebrations give locals and visitors a seasonal lift in Cork

VISITORS to Cork city’s Bishop Lucey Park are in for a memorable festive treat over the coming weeks.

With this popular city centre park metamorphosing into a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired wonderland, the space will be a hive of activity from now until Christmas, with a dazzling array of fun activities and food stalls taking place in the Park and on the Grand Parade.

With the display and lights turned on, visitors will be awe-struck by the breath-taking beauty of this snow-tinged dreamland — an idyllic treasure trove of delights that will live long in the memories of the people of Cork and all those visitors who will be drawn to the city to enjoy this remarkable creation.

Designed on behalf of Cork City Council by event specialists Arcana, the design of the transformed Bishop Lucey Park is broken into two main parts — the Tree Lighting Installation; and the Ground Installations.

All of the Ground Installations are designed to be seen and enjoyed from the eye level of a child.

The ground installation was built around the concept of a magical chocolate garden, wherein items are “grown” in the park with the intention of inspiring the imaginations and the Christmas dreams of young visitors. Central to this journey is the fountain, where families are invited to make a magical wish under a roof of twinkling stars. The main areas for the ground installation are as follows:

The Old City Wall

‘We wish you a Merry Christmas!’

The Candy Cane Patch

Chocolate Log Cabin

Snowball Shrubbery

Ginger Bread Family

Jingle Bell Tree

Wish Fountain

Christmas Tree Star

Woodland Copse with Reindeer illuminations and Toadstools

Santa’s Post Box

Little visitors to the park will be met with requests such as: ‘Candy Cane Patch — sprinkle twice daily with sugar!’ and ‘Please do not walk on the candy canes, they might snap!’ Other gems in the same spirit include advice such as ‘All letters will be collected daily and delivered immediately to Santa, Signed Postmaster Elf Jinglebottom’ and the equally charming ‘Jingle Bell Tree — Water three times daily with some ho-ho-ho’s’.

The Park’s Fountain has been transformed into a North Pole frozen wishing well into which children are encouraged to deposit “Christmas Wishes”.

Next to the fountain is a sign inviting the young guests to “Make a wish, make it twice, Santa will know if you are naughty or nice!

Don’t miss the Giant Christmas Tree to the left of the fountain, whose accompanying sign reads: “Rudolph found this star, which fell to earth hundreds of years ago. It is the official Christmas Tree of the North Pole!”

Of course, for many of the really young children visiting the Park, the big highlight could well prove to be the simple but hugely effective Santa’s Post Box, which looks like a chimney pot into which children are invited to post their annual ‘Letters to Santa’.

The Tree Lighting Installation in the Park has been inspired by the colour palette in Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The Van Gogh feel comes from the soothing midnight blues, while the various shades of gold swirling in the skies create a magical roof which has created a dream-like atmosphere for visitors.

The park’s lamp-posts are each topped with a circle of stars, while the accompanying blasts of colours, swirls and bursts of lighting all add to the series of remarkable surprises in which people will enjoy a truly unmissable winter wonderland.