Montecasino Magical Italian Village of Lights | Image: Supplied
Montecasino, SA’s very own Tuscan village on African soil, is celebrating summer in typical Italian style – with festivo spirit!
Check out what you, your friends and your family can get up to at Monte this festive season:
Don’t miss the magic of Christmas in an Italian village this holiday season as you marvel at the largest indoor festive lights display in Joburg. This year, Montecasino takes festive lights to previously unseen heights with the largest indoor display in Joburg. The specially custom-made displays that incorporate over 285,300 LED lights will illuminate Gauteng’s Tuscan village from Friday, November 29 at 7pm, when the lights are officially turned on. Best of all, come rain or shine, the lights can be enjoyed 24/7, eliminating any chance of disappointed little faces when the Highveld storms take hold.
Continuing the festive magic onto the Piazza, friends and families can share in the holiday spirit with mesmerising stories told through state-of-the-art 3D projection on Montecasino’s Tuscan facade, a first of its kind in Joburg. This is a must-see experience that the entire family can enjoy daily from Saturday, December 7, at 7.30pm and 8.30pm. You can share in the magic from any of the restaurants on the Piazza or by simply standing under the stars.
The Piazza will be jam-packed with activities for kids of all ages from Saturday, December 7 to Sunday, December 29. The fun starts at 10am and continues until 6pm every day! Entrance is free and includes rides on inflatable bumper cars, bungee jumping, ceramic painting, sand art, inflatables, the Piazza fountain for the kids to cool down in, candyfloss, freezos, and the epic Italian touch – decadent Gelato!
See the pure joy on your little ones’ faces when they get to take a photo with their hero of the festive season: Santa! You’ll find him on the promotions stage, next to Casa Bella, from Friday, December 13 to Tuesday, December 24 from 12pm to 4pm and from 5pm to 9pm when children can make their wishes known and have a keepsake of this special time of year.
Montecasino has got it all when it comes to New Year’s Eve options. From Indian to Mexican, Italian to Greek, Thai, and more, there are restaurants for families, friends, party animals and revellers, each offering a unique experience to bring in the New Year. As has become customary at Montecasino, the Piazza will be the centre of the action, with exclusivity guaranteed to those who book directly with the Piazza restaurants. Enjoy an indulgent set menu at Ocean Basket, PortuGalo, Col’Cacchio, Hussar Grill, Malt Barrel & Fire and Milk & Honey for just R650 per person. Your reservation gives you exclusive access to the Piazza on the night as well as live entertainment and the countdown to midnight by Christian Heath and DJ Lance. There are only 1,000 seats available at the Piazza restaurants, guaranteeing your spot even if it rains, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment. Remember, all your purchases contribute to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry. The Outdoor Events Area will be open to the public, with all the Piazza entertainment screened live.
Montecasino will be spreading the festive cheer to over a thousand winners in just three weeks, who will go home with gifts and gadgets! All you need to do is play your favourite slots or tables games at specific intervals between December 16 and January 5 to stand the chance to be randomly selected to spin the prize wheel each day. Prizes include a R5,000 cash jackpot, headphones, speakers, coffee machines, meal and accommodation vouchers, FreePlay, Mangwanani spa vouchers and pocket routers. Remember, if you are a Montecasino Rewards cardholder, you earn tickets into the Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion for each casino visit, so don’t forget to claim yours!
The Goldfish Outdoor Experience on Saturday December 14 will bring a truly unique music festival to the outdoor event area. You can expect a fun-filled day with over 20 of Joburg’s best street food vendors, great live music and a kid’s entertainment zone. The proudly South African line-up includes some of SA’s best bands and DJs, such as December Streets, Easy Freak, Kyle Cassim, Ricardo Da Costa, MS Cosmo, Roger Goode and a whole lot more! Ticket prices range from R50 for children under 13 to R400 for VIP entrance. Remember, your event ticket purchase contributes to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry.
The world’s premier theatrical ice-skating company, The Imperial Ice Stars, returns to South Africa with a brand-new show, Peter Pan on Ice, this December. Take a journey to Neverland in this classic tale of magic and make-believe, spectacularly staged on real ice at The Teatro from Friday, December 6 till Saturday, January 11. Book your tickets at montecasino.co.za or Computicket – shows are from Tuesday to Friday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 3pm and 7.30pm, Sunday at 2pm and 5.30pm. A dazzling performance – not to be missed! Remember, your show ticket purchase contributes to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry.
What would Christmas be without the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, to get us into the festive spirit – and to remind us what the season is truly about? Jason Ralph (Phantom of the Opera, Shakespeare in Love) portrays Scrooge in this timeless tale of warmth and redemption from Thursday, December 5 to Sunday, January 5 2020. Catch the action at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre for only R130 to R180 per person. Remember, your show ticket purchase contributes to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry.
That’s right, Santa Claus is coming to Town this festive season at Pieter Toerien’s Studio Theatre from Thursday, December 5 to Sunday, January 5 2020. Bring the whole family along for a fun-filled musical theatre experience featuring all your favourite Christmas songs, including Winter Wonderland, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, White Christmas and many more. Tickets are from R100 to R350 per person. Get yours online on montecasino.co.za. Remember, your show ticket purchase contributes to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry.
The festive season would just not be festive if there wasn’t a solid line up of blockbuster movies to take you away from the here and the now! Feel the magic at movies@ Montecasino with 21 Bridges releasing on Friday, November 29. An embattled NYPD detective is thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers after uncovering a massive and unexpected conspiracy. If you prefer a good, side-splitting comedy that will also pull at your heartstrings – book your tickets for Last Christmas – releasing on Friday, December 6. On Friday, December 13 you can catch the much-anticipated Jumanji Sequel. This nail-biting show will, as always, have the whole family totally captivated from start to finish. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better – Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker hits the big screen on Friday, December 20! Remember, your movie ticket purchase contributes to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry.
You don’t need to leave Joburg to truly get away! Get down to the magnificent Montecasino Bird Gardens and wander through the enchanted walkways. After exploring the gardens, you can quietly watch a wide variety of colourful birds, mammals, reptiles and unusual animals from around the world as they go about their everyday life. In the walk-through Aviary, you’ll find over 60 species of birds including Scarlet Ibises and Nicobar pigeons, reptiles and small mammals, with smaller antelope wandering freely in the undergrowth. And, remember, your entrance ticket purchase contributes to your Anyone Can Win a Ferrari promotion entry.
Fantastico!
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.