Dannevirke’s Fantasy Cave pop-up full of delights

Santa at last year's pop-up, pictured with the Sprague family — Eden holding Jimmy, Brooklyn on Santa’s knee, and Hunter.

With progress reported in the development of a new Fantasy Cave, the volunteers have been honing their creative skills to build a 2023 version of their Christmas pop-up in the Fountain Theatre.

Like last year it is quite a rush, the venue becoming available only last Sunday, three days into December, because the Dannevirke Theatre Company had just finished its successful season of Noises Off on Saturday.

Helped by Dannevirke Lions and its own volunteers, the group has transformed the auditorium into a forest of trees with trails leading to Santa and lots of other intriguing sights.

A forest of trees and a gingerbread house in last year's Fantasy Cave pop-up with its trail leading to Santa.

The Fantasy Cave Christmas pop-up opens on December 9 and runs on both Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm, reducing during the school week to 1pm-4pm but resuming from Saturday, December 16, to 10am-4pm every day until the 24th. Entry is by donation.

You can even get a picture with Santa for $5.

Dave Murdoch is a part-time photojournalist based in Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the past 10 years.