MERRY Hill is hosting Christmas-themed activities and community events throughout December to get shoppers into the Christmas spirit.

The free family friendly activities launched with the unveiling of the Marvellous Merry Maze which invites participants to dash through hedges, navigate twists and turns, follow clues and solve Christmas riddles to crack the maze.

The attraction, located in the central event space on the lower mall by M&S and Mango, is free to enter and there’s no booking required.

Dudley News: Marvellous Merry Maze at Merry HillMarvellous Merry Maze at Merry Hill (Image: Merry Hill)

Visitors are advised to check opening times, however, before setting out.

It will be open throughout Christmas until Wednesday January 3.

Bands will also be spreading festive cheer across the mall with local community choirs including Got 2 Sing Choir, Rock Choir, and the Salvation Army performing.

A team of crafty wrappers from environmental organisation Wild Earth Movement will also be on hand at the Crafty Wrapper Station on the Upper Mall by Pandora – to help wrap visitor’s gifts in an environmentally friendly way in exchange for a small charity donation.

The Crafty Wrapper Station is open from Saturday December 16 to Tuesday December 19 at selected times – from midday to 6pm on December 16; 11am to 5pm on December 17; and midday to 5pm on December 18 and 19.

Merry Hill’s centre manager Jonathan Poole said: “Community is at the heart of everything we do at Merry Hill, and Christmas is always a special time to bring that to life. From working with local community choirs, to offering new surprise activities, we pride ourselves on offering our visitors a truly magical experience.

“This year we wanted to make our Christmas events as interactive as possible. Our all-new ‘Marvellous Merry Maze’ does just that, and we’ve loved seeing thousands of young visitors enjoying the maze while hopping, skipping and jumping their way into the Christmas spirit!”

All festive events and performances are free and open to all ages.