Peter Alagos

The wet weather failed to dampen the spirits of many residents, especially children and their families, who flocked to the Magical Festival Village along the Katara Beach Front over the weekend.

For more than a week now, intermittent rains and thundershowers have been experienced in different parts of the country. At the Magical Festival Village, throngs of people continue to visit the area since it opened its doors to the public in late January. With its ‘European countryside-inspired’ design, the venue serves as a popular backdrop for selfies and family portraits.
Many of the outdoor restaurants continued to record “good sales” despite the rains. A food and beverage staffer at a restaurant admitted to ‘Gulf Times’ yesterday that while there was a drop in the number of visitors because of the weather, many food joints at the village “still make good business,” especially during the weekends.
This was echoed by toy store vendor, Sharma, who noted that many of the businesses at the village are hoping to experience sunny weather by next week. He said the popular toys among kids are trampolines, electric motorbikes, bicycles, and educational toys.
“It is expected that some people will choose to stay at home because of the rains but even in this weather, we still manage to get a good crowd. We’re hoping that next week, pleasant weather conditions will bring in more customers,” he said.
A staffer of the Alice in Wonderland Café and Restaurant said many customers either dine in or dine out before and after the live shows.
“Having a covered venue is an advantage, so even if it rains we can still accommodate a lot of customers. Also, our restaurant is just beside a large tent for the live shows, and the audience either eat first or take away food if they are watching the performances,” she explained.
The Magical Festival Village is situated in a 50,000 sq m area within Katara -- the Cultural Village and showcases up to 400 retail outlets, including 357 commercial shops, 19 cafes and 20 restaurants with about 500 seats and chairs for the public.
It also features a ‘Ladies Boulevard’, an entertainment venue occupied by 21 commercial outlets stretched over a1,000 sq m area.
The village hosts four plays, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, Snow White, and World of Oz, staged inside a 1,200-seater theatre. It also boasts of a 1,500 sq m area allocated to a virtual reality games, including 29 new and sophisticated games. The village will be open to the public until April 30.