Santa’s snowy return to Minus 5° ICE BAR

Warm hugs, smiling faces and plenty of sparkle will make for the jolliest of times with Santa Claus’s magical appearance at Queenstown’s Minus 5° ICE BAR next month.

Thanks to a special festive request from the team at Future Hospitality Group to North Pole HQ, the Ice Bar will once again transform into Santa’s Grotto – a winter wonderland with a purpose - to raise much-needed funds for Wakatipu Plunket.

Minus 5° ICE BAR has been welcoming children and their parents to its twinkling festive wonderland for the past 14 years. Families love to visit Santa and his elves in his natural frozen home-away-from-home, just like the North Pole.

Families can visit Santa on Saturday and Sunday, 6 and 7 December, from 10am to 2pm to take photos with the jolly man in red and create heartwarming memories.

For a $10 donation per family, each will have a personal and magical moment with Santa, and face painting is available for a gold coin donation. There is no need to book, as a ticketed system on site each day means families don’t have to stand in line while they wait.

Queenstown Plunket representative Krista Baker says money raised helps keep the doors open, lights on, and milk in the fridge, bringing young families together in a safe space where children can play, and parents can connect.

“Minus 5° ICE BAR has done so much over the years in raising over $30,000 for families, money that stays here in the Wakatipu,” she says. “Santa’s Grotto is a beautiful thing for families to have, a tradition that so many of our families love.”

The heartwarming tradition is also a favourite with Ice Bar staff and owners Future Hospitality Group.

“Bring your loved ones along and help us spread some holiday cheer in the build up to Christmas,” says Future Hospitality Group co-owner Bert Haines. “We’re proud to have donated 100% of proceeds to Plunket over the past 13 years and we can’t wait to do it all over again.”

Santa’s Grotto is made possible thanks to generous sponsors Print Central Queenstown, Lakes Weekly Bulletin, Steamer Wharf Queenstown, The Warehouse Queenstown and MediaWorks.