It is the most stylish area of the city so it was only fitting that Stylish Santa should lead the way. He helped the band and the dancers on to a specially reserved Edinburgh tram at Haymarket and then ushered them all off at St Andrew Square.
From there the Saltire Street Band played more Christmas tunes and the ballerinas twirled their way through the Quarter to Register Square where Buttons and Santa turned on the Christmas lights.
Panto star Grant Stott was in the square waiting to meet Buttons (Jordan Young) who had been calling “Hiya Pals!” to his many fans in the Galleria.
Following the magical opening weekend, St James Quarter will continue to be a glorious hub of holiday spirit with a packed calendar of events all the way through to Christmas:
- There’s fun for all the family with Elf Adventures on Sunday 24th November, where kids can enrol in Elf School, make reindeer food, enjoy festive face painting, plus, grab an ‘elfie’ with Santa’s little helpers!
- On Thursday 5th December, St James Quarter will be filled with the sounds of the season, as it plays host to an evening of live performances including Soul & Disco with a festive twist from Groove Down Band, and smooth jazz vocals from Marianne McGregor.
- Experience an afternoon of elegance, sophistication and luxury on Sunday 15th December, as A Bridgerton Christmas takes to the Quarter. Dear Readers will be welcomed into the galleria by Capella, an award-winning string quartet, before Bridgerton Ballerinas join the Quartet for a spectacular performance not to be missed. Guests will also be invited to take part in a Bridgerton themed dance class suitable for all ages.
- To ‘wrap’ up the festive season, your gifts can be beautifully packed by professional gift wrappers onSaturday 21st and Sunday 22nd December in exchange for a donation to the Quarter’s charity partners, Edinburgh Women’s Aid and Health in Mind.
- And that’s not all, throughout the festive season, there will be several unexpected choir and carol singing performances from the local community.
Many of these events will take place against the sparkling backdrop of St James Quarter’s very own magical Christmas shop window, an enchanting and immersive festive display on Level 3 that guests can step into, to embrace the magic of the season and snap the perfect Christmas picture. Anyone who shares their pictures from the window to their Instagram Grid, tagging @stjamesquarter, will be entered into a draw to win a £500 St James Quarter gift card.
“We are delighted to unveil our most spectacular Christmas programme to date,” says Anne Ledgerwood, Estate Director at St James Quarter. “We have created an enchanting festive experience that captures the magic of the season for all our guests to enjoy, with a well-crafted calendar of magical music, dance and interactivity.”
Find out more about what’s on and festive opening hours on the St James Quarter App which you can download here.
On the way to the Xmas Parade and light switch on at St James Quarter – just getting off the tram in St Andrew Square
Red dancers – Olivia Emmerson and Erin Jamieson from Manor School of Ballet Blue dancers L-R Tia Watson and Olivia Fraser from KIC Dance Company
Peter Green as Stylish Santa
Sparkling wings – L-R Saskia Peace and Leila Capasso of Shy Bairns.
Picture Alan Simpson
On the tram on the way to the Xmas Parade and light switch on at St James Quarter
Dancers in red L-R Olivia Emmerson – Manor School of Ballet and
Erin Jamieson – Manor School of Ballet
Dancers in blue L-R Tia Watson and Olivia Fraser- from Kic Dance Company in Bonnyrigg
Peter Green Stylish Santa in the centre Picture Alan Simpson
Xmas Parade and light switch on at St James Quarter Edinburgh with Actor Jordan Young, Grant Stott and Peter Green as Santa
Picture Alan Simpson
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
