Because of Christmas at Bute Park for offering us with tickets in change for this assessment
After sell-out success final yr, Christmas at Bute Park is again, with the magical mild path taking up the town centre park for the festive season.
The 1.4KM route incorporates a sequence of unimaginable mild installations and particular results and even a few hands-on points of interest too. Some favourites from final yr have returned, however there are many new illuminations too.
We visited final evening as a part of the opening weekend celebrations, arriving at round 6pm when the skies had been darkish and clear, and the park was beginning to get busy with households, {couples}, and teams of pals of all ages.
You’ll discover loads of pictures beneath however for a video expertise of Christmas at Bute Park, try my Reel on the Cardiff Mummy Says Instagram account.
As you stroll across the path at your individual tempo, there’s something awe-inspiring to see wherever you look – a tree-lined path the place each department is adorned with tiny lights, mild projections on the bottom and chateau partitions, illuminated lily pads within the river, flames blasting into the chilly air, strolling underneath what appear like icicles hanging overhead, a walkway with a lightweight curtain on both aspect, a full-on mild show set to music, and a lot extra.
New for this yr is the Illumaphonium, blue-lit musical pipes that may be struck with a baton to make your individual music. This was a particular hit with my three youngsters, creating such an exquisite and festive sound.
It struck me half manner round simply how relaxed and calming all of it felt; the mix of music, lighting and actually taking our time to benefit from the expertise was so soothing.
It took us round an hour to stroll round. Aside from the queue to have tickets scanned, and a bit little bit of wait on the Liquid Sky set up we moved freely across the path. You would definitely take longer than this to discover in the event you had been to cease to purchase festive sizzling drinks or to purchase and toast marshmallows, in one in every of a number of fireplace pits adjoining to the hearth backyard installations.
A particular spotlight for us was the sunshine show set to music on the finish of the path. You’ll be able to see the beams of sunshine from the opposite aspect of Cardiff, as we found within the days earlier than our go to, so it was nice to see for ourselves the dancing spots of sunshine on the bottom, the beams criss-crossing within the sky and the attractive coordinated actions of color set to music.
We had been fortunate that we visited on a dry evening however had been nonetheless grateful that we’d chosen to put on wellies. Though the paths via the park are flat and accessible for buggies and wheelchairs, they’re are muddy at instances… after which there have been the occasional puddles my youngsters selected to stroll via.
The query individuals hold asking me: is it definitely worth the expense? It’s definitely not low-cost at £19.50 per grownup, £13.95 for kids aged 3-16 and £59.50 for a household ticket for 4. Sizzling drinks had been across the £3 mark, mulled wine or cider £5.50, 4 marshmallows to toast on the hearth pits £3, or £5 for marshmallows and biscuits to make S’mores, plus there’s a spread of road meals distributors serving savory and candy dishes on the finish. You’ll be able to see how the prices may quickly add up.
If I’m trustworthy, the worth tag of near £75 for tickets the 5 of us would have made me assume twice about reserving, had we not been invited alongside to assessment. We additionally didn’t purchase any meals or drink whereas inside, as an alternative warming up with our personal sizzling sweets and marshmallows once we bought residence.
However, that stated, it’s a high-quality expertise with such intricate element. The sunshine shows are really lovely and awe-inspiring, the twinkling seasonal music helped to create a splendidly calming ambiance. It felt magical and other-worldly and it stored all 5 of us captivated all through. The sheer variety of lights all over the place and the way lengthy they will need to have taken to put in, the size of the occasion, the element and ambition of the installations, to not point out the electrical energy invoice – you possibly can see the place the worth tag comes from. So, sure, expensive, however for my part, value it for a magical expertise.
Christmas at Bute Park is on till 1 January 2023. Go to the web site right here.
Adults £19.50, youngsters 3-16 £13.95, household (2+2 or 1+3) £59.50. Kids 2 and underneath, free.
Take a look at my weblog publish for extra concepts of family-friendly occasions in and round Cardiff this Christmas.
Associated
