Sharjah launches 8-day fantasy world inspired by 'Wizard of Oz'

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The House of Wisdom in Sharjah yesterday launched a fantasy-inspired 8-day event titled ‘The Enchanted Gardens’, for young children, with a wide array of fun-filled activities enabling them to walk through the enchanted gardens and watch performances, activities, workshops, movie and magic shows coming alive. With a vision to enhance cross-cultural dialogue in children’s literature, the event, which runs from December 25 through January 1, is based on the 1900s best-seller book ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, a children’s novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. Children aged 5-12 can enjoy dedicated fun zones at the fair, which is being held at the Southern Gardens daily from 5pm to 10pm.

Special wristbands are provided to children registering their participation at the event to ensure their safety as they navigate through different elements of the novel series of Oz, which fuelled the imagination horizons of the young in the past century. Dorothy’s Village  Lined up with everything possessed by the central character of the legendary novel — Dorothy and her dog — children do have an opportunity to walk into her house and open the windows to feel themselves flying amid the tornado with cars, cows and little houses beneath them. Children can also grab merchandise from the novel — magical shoes, character figurines and stationery — at the venue.

  Performance Stage Designed as the Emerald Castle, the performance stage holds all major performances of the festival, mesmerising both the young as well as the adults. Numerous performances including puppets, bubbles, theatre shows, musicals, and circuses are on the lineup at the stage for children to indulge into the legendary tale of Oz that delighted little children for the past century. Laser performances, comedy magic shows, pantomimes as well as movie screenings are also part of the Oz-themed event. 

The Abandoned Maze The Abandoned Maze starts at the Gate of Oz with a dense sound effect, floor spotlights, and ceiling covered with twigs, vine leaves and logs with squirrels and hanging monkeys. The maze is divided into five further sections with various activities, including African mask painting; Japanese manga caricature; Swiss chocolate making; UAE perfume making; and Indian hair-braiding and bangle-making. Children's Play Area Children can enjoy and explore the space with their families in this beautifully lit land of the Oz with flowers, glowing trees, trampolines, twinkling rides, etc.

Characters from the novel are wandering through the play area telling their tales in an engaging narrative throughout the festival. Children will also have the opportunity to dress up in their favourite Oz character with onscreen avatars. As part of the event, there is a dedicated workshop area, where children can engage in a variety of enigmatic experiences to learn new skills. Flower-shaped cotton candies on glow sticks from the land of Oz also await children at the event, just like the Witch Juice Magical Pot, which serves juice with a soup spoon and glow-fire underneath.