Sharjah’s Winter Festival begins with entertainment shows

Sharjah / Emirates Business

Al Majaz Waterfront first ever Winter Festival got under way at the emirate’s popular leisure and tourist destination. The opening two days of the seasonal event, which is running until January 7, have seen an array of activities designed to impart the festive ambience of a wintry landscape without its attendant chilly temperatures.
Creating a Scandinavian panorama, Al Majaz Waterfront’s walkways and event area – including its trees and green spaces – have been covered with incredibly realistic artificial snow. Specially installed platforms are delivering regular artificial snow showers, with illuminations enhancing the magical winter’s evening feel.
The opening two days of the Winter Festival saw breath-taking shows of flame manipulation from the Wild Fire Conquerors, two artists who enthralled their audience with their incredible skills in manipulating real flames. Blending agile acrobatics with pyrotechnics, the duo created a stunning visual spectacle.
Children had fun at the Bubble Show – a performance that allowed them to create colourful floating translucent spheres – as well as enjoyed the acts from the acrobats, dancers and stilt walkers who traversed the Al Majaz walkways. Particularly popular with little ones was the giant polar bear who was delighted to dispense cuddles and have his photo taken.
Visitors of all ages enjoyed the Winter Festival’s 10m x 20m ice rink – Sharjah’s first such outdoor facility – where they learned how to skate or brushed up on their existing skills. Adrenaline seekers were able to experience the rush of tobogganing from its 20m long artificial ice slide, while in the snow area, children enjoyed shaping snowballs using the artificial snow. Visitors also challenged themselves to find their way out of an inflatable maze designed to test their puzzle-solving abilities.
Mohammed Fadhil Al Mazrouei, Manager of Al Majaz Waterfront, said: “We give special attention to the element of innovation when we organise and implement our events. Stemming from this commitment, we launched the Winter Festival to allow our visitors the opportunity to enjoy festive weather through numerous installations designed to imbue a feeling of wintry wonder. These special features include an outdoor ice skating ring – the first one in Sharjah – a thrilling snow-tube ride, an inflatable maze and many more exciting activities.”
Al Mazrouei expressed his delight with the impressive public turnout seen on the first and second days of the event. He urged everyone to enjoy the activities of the Winter Festival, which is open daily from 5-11 pm, and reiterated its array of attractions, which include a winter market and areas designated for ice carving and folklore shows.
Al Majaz Waterfront hosts a variety of artistic and entertainment activities throughout the year, including film screenings, stage shows, roaming performers and firework displays to commemorate national days and festivities. The park has recently completed an AED 35 million extension project that has added 53,000 square feet to its total area and includes 12 restaurants and cafés. As part of the expansion project, Sharjah Fountain has been enlarged to overlook the series of dining outlets and an extra 165 parking spaces have been added to accommodate the needs of the park’s
increasing number of visitors.