The festive heart of the Granite City was a celebration of supporting local, with up to 150 Scottish businesses involved in the Aberdeen Christmas Village.
Drawing to a close last week, the attraction proved a hit with visitors and residents alike drawn to the funfair rides and popular Christmas in the Quad market.
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Organised in partnership by Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council and Codona’s, and supported by Vodafone Gigafast and CityFibre, the 2019 event also saw the introduction of the first festive-themed silent disco by charity partner Friends of Anchor and a new Christmas crazy golf course, along with the usual favourites and ice rink centrepiece.
The Christmas in the Quad market was increased from 15 to 24 stalls per week featuring a different line-up, with a host of north-east makers and producers showcasing their quality goods. Operators Codona’s also work with a range of local businesses and seasonal workers to deliver the Aberdeen Christmas Village.
To date, the vast majority of stallholders found the event to be beneficial, with 96% indicating that Christmas in the Quad was good for their business, while 98% said they would return again.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “We are delighted to have had more than 150 local businesses engaged in the Aberdeen Christmas Village. We are proud of this USP which sets us apart from other large scale UK markets, and also to support these businesses from across the city and region at a time when it is most needed. The extended Christmas in the Quad Market was a real draw for visitors and we would like to thank all our brilliant stall holders for being a part of it.
“From members of the public having a great time on the silent disco tours organised by our charity partner Friends of ANCHOR to the atmosphere in the wider Christmas Village, it was great to see so many people getting into the festive spirit and enjoying everything our city centre has to offer. In particular, our inclusive Festive Fun Day, not seen elsewhere, which opened up the village to a wide range of community groups, north-east charities and schools in a relaxed atmosphere was the largest yet and welcomed over 1000 people.
“The Aberdeen Christmas Village is a maturing offering and is being recognised as one of the country’s go-to festive attractions, as evidenced by a range of independent published reviews. Of course, Christmas means so many different things to people, and we continue to listen to all feedback. We do need to be realistic in terms of budget but look to deliver an offering that appeals to the masses.”
Aberdeen City Council Culture Spokesperson, Marie Boulton said: “The city was abuzz with festive cheer and it was fantastic to see so many enjoying the month-long events programme. The fun-filled season highlights Aberdeen City Councils ambitions to making the city an even more vibrant and enjoyable place to live, work and visit.
“Collaborative working is vital to the success of events like our festive line-up, and through our Aberdeen 365 Events Programme, partnerships such as the one we have with Aberdeen Inspired demonstrate the commitment of our local and national partners in supporting our vision of development and sustainability of the city.
“Our vision for the city is to create a programme that provides an opportunity to promote and enhance the long-term economic prosperity of Aberdeen and the wider region by attracting visitors, both local and from further afield.”
Jim Milne, Chairman of Friends of ANCHOR, said: “We were honoured to be selected as the first official chosen charity of the Aberdeen Christmas Village. The partnership made for a very memorable Friends of ANCHOR Christmas, filled with disco-dancing fun thanks to our silent disco adventures which saw hundreds of people boogying their way through the village. Our Tribute Tree was a poignant reminder of those who are no longer with us at Christmas and we would like to thank everyone who showed their support in any way.
“The festivities in the city centre go from strength to strength each year thanks to Aberdeen Inspired and the City Council and we were delighted to be part of this brilliant event.”
Christmas in the Quad stallholder Donna Ferenth, Unravel Tea, said: “It was brilliant to have a place in the heart of Aberdeen city to sell directly to customers. I found it was a great place to reach new customers and experienced an increased footfall compared to last year”.
