SINGAPORE (Nov 26): Get into the holiday spirit with a flurry of festive and highly anticipated events in December.

Gingerbread House Children’s Workshop (main image)

Make your weekend family gatherings extra special at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, where area executive pastry chef Hervé Potus shows parents and children how to build gingerbread houses with personalised touches of frosting, cookies and candy. Two sessions are available daily on the weekends, from Nov 24 to Dec 26.

Venue: Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Dates: Saturdays and Sundays (Nov 24 to Dec 26) — 11am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 4.30pm
Website: www.shangri-la.com

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Christmas at ArtScience Museum*

At the ArtScience Museum’s permanent exhibition FUTURE WORLD: Where Art Meets Science, visitors will be treated to a special festive installation, Sketch Christmas, where users are invited to tap Santa Claus on the screen to watch him deliver “presents” in the digital universe. Also, don’t miss 10 new interactive artworks on show at the exhibition.

Venue: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands
Dates: Dec 1, 2018 to Jan 6, 2019
Website: www.marinabaysands.com/artsciencemuseum  

Prudential Marina Bay Carnival* 

After its successful debut last year, Prudential Marina Bay Carnival returns in its second edition to offer 50 thrilling rides and games, including four new ones. Roving food trucks will be on hand to satiate hunger pangs; buskers will roll out entertainment; and visitors can learn new skills from local artisans through a curated series of art and craft workshops.

Venue: Bayfront Event Space
Dates: Dec 22, 2018 to March 24, 2019
Website: www.marinabaycarnival.com

The Great Clarke Quay FEASTival

Dine on Read Bridge with the inaugural The Great Clarke Quay FEASTival pop-up dining concept, which brings together 15 vendors, ranging from Ramen Keisuke and Swissotel Merchant Court to Tsui Wah. Visitors will be able to sample selected street-style favourites at special tasting prices ranging from $10 to $32, along with a selection of cocktails, wines and craft beers. Admission is free.

Venue: Read Bridge
Date: Dec 5 to 9, from 6pm

Christmas on A Great Street 2018

Step into the magical world of Disney at this year’s Orchard Road Christmas light-up event, which will see four distinct zones of Singapore’s prime shopping district take on Disney and Pixar themes, from Frozen to Toy Story. A glittering main arch is the centrepiece this year, featuring selected 3D Disney characters and opening out to colours, lights and Disney-themed decorations that line the trees on either side of the 2.88km stretch of Orchard Road.

Venue: Orchard Road
Date: Until Jan 1, 2019, from 6.30pm

In an Instant: Polaroid at the Intersection of Art and Technology  

Rediscover the beauty of instant photography at the National Museum of Singapore’s latest exhibition, which marries art, history and technology. Through the works of Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams, Ellen Carey and more, In an Instant traces Polaroid’s history, from its inventor Edwin Land’s inspiration for its development to conceptual models and prototypes of notable camera models and, finally, the Polaroid camera as we know it today. Visitor admission charges apply.

Venue: Singapore Art Museum, Exhibition Gallery, Basement Level
Date: Until March 31, 2019 

Mary Poppins Returns  

It’s going to be a poppin’ Christmas. More than 50 years after Mary Poppins captured hearts of cinema-goers with her magical umbrella- wielding ways in the 1964 film of the same name, Walt Disney is finally rolling out its sequel, with the Singapore release date slated for Dec 27. Emily Blunt replaces Julie Andrews in the title role of the second instalment to revisit a now-grown-up Michael and Jane Banks, played by Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer respectively.

Bumblebee comes to town  

Science-fiction fans are no doubt looking forward to the release of Bumblebee, a spin-off of and prequel to Michael Bay’s 2007 box-office smash hit Transformers, based on the popular Hasbro toy line. The celebrated Autobot’s solo film is set in 1987 California, with Pitch Perfect starlet Hailee Steinfeld in the leading role as Charlie Watson, a teenage girl who discovers and befriends Bumblebee before the two find themselves up against government agency Sector 7, led by Agent Burns, played by John Cena. Opens in Singapore on Dec 20.

* Christmas at ArtScience Museum and Prudential Marina Bay Carnival are part of the Celebrate in the City calendar, a line-up of events and experiences happening this year end in Marina Bay.