Yorkdale's Swarovski Crystal Wonderland - Holiday 2014 to be unveiled with special performance by Jully Black

Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Swarovski kick off the holiday season in support of The Hospital for Sick Children

TORONTO, Nov. 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Swarovski Canada will kick off the holiday season by unveiling Yorkdale's Swarovski Crystal Wonderland – Holiday 2014 on November 12, 2014. The unveiling will take place in Yorkdale's Centre Court in support of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and will include a special performance by International artist and "Canada's Queen of R&B/Soul," Ms. Jully Black.

Frank Ferragine AKA "Frankie Flowers" of City's Breakfast Television and Rachel David of Roger's Your World this Week will host the evening's festivities beginning at 6 p.m. following a special opening performance by Strings in Motion that will begin at 5:15 p.m.

Yorkdale's Swarovski Crystal Wonderland will spread holiday magic throughout Yorkdale Shopping Centre with two spectacular scenes. An enchanted crystalized forest full of beautiful iconic Canadian wildlife will surround Santa's magical sleigh in Sears Court and a breathtaking Swarovski tree adorned with 20,000 Swarovski crystals will glisten in Yorkdale's Centre Court. The entire magical wonderland will sparkle with hundreds of Swarovski ornaments and will be on display beginning November 12 through the end of 2014.

"Yorkdale has a proud fifty-year legacy of providing the very best experience for our shoppers and kicking off the holiday season with the unveiling of Yorkdale's Swarovski Crystal Wonderland continues that legacy," said Claire Santamaria, General Manager of Yorkdale Shopping Centre. "The holiday season is about sharing special moments with friends and family and giving back, and we invite Torontonians to embrace this joyful time and create new memories with us at Yorkdale Shopping Centre."

"We are thrilled to unveil Yorkdale's Swarovski Crystal Wonderland for the third year in a row in support of The Hospital for Sick Children," said Susan Wolfe, Vice-President Sales and Marketing, Swarovski Canada. "Swarovski believes in the magic of the holidays and family traditions that bring us all together. This event is a terrific example of our commitment to celebrating these treasured holiday traditions and at the same time giving to those in need".

In the spirit of holiday giving, Torontonians are also invited to take part in the Swarovski Children's Sparkling Dreams Workshops at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in support of SickKids. For $20, participants will receive a Swarovski crystal decorating kit containing a large frosted holiday ornament with an assortment of colourful Swarovski crystals to make their own personalized holiday ornament. All proceeds from the ornament kits will benefit SickKids. Staffed by volunteers from Project Sunshine Canada, the workshops will take place across from the Swarovski Crystal Wonderland at Yorkdale from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each Saturday starting November 15th and running until December 13th.   

Families can sign up for the workshops at www.yorkdale.com or call 905-752-0498 ext. 3346. Beautiful Swarovski crystalized gift tags will also be available for $2 and all the proceeds going to SickKids.

Spread the joy on Twitter! - #Time2Sparkle and follow @Swarovski @YorkdaleStyle.

About Yorkdale Shopping Centre
With more than 250 shops and services Yorkdale Shopping Centre is Canada's premier shopping destination. Construction is underway for Yorkdale's $331 million expansion that will add nearly 300,000 square feet of retail space and bring its total size to 2 million square feet. This expansion makes it possible to bring an even wider selection of the world's best fashion, technology and luxury brands to the Greater Toronto Area. Offering valet parking and seating reservations at the Dine on 3 food collection, everything about Yorkdale is designed to enhance shoppers' experiences. Yorkdale is co owned by Oxford Properties and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and managed by Oxford Properties Group. Yorkdale is located at 3401 Dufferin Street, off Allen Road, near the 401. For more information, download the Yorkdale app, visit www.yorkdale.com or follow @YorkdaleStyle on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

About Swarovski

Swarovski delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity that goes beyond the manufacturing of crystal. Founded in 1895 in Austria, Swarovski designs, manufactures, and markets high-quality crystals, genuine gemstones and created stones, and finished products such as jewelry, accessories, and lighting. In addition, Swarovski Crystal Worlds was established as a unique venue dedicated to showcasing artistic interpretations of crystal. Swarovski Entertainment collaborates with established industry partners and exceptional talent to produce international feature films, while the Swarovski Foundation supports creativity and culture, promotes wellbeing, and conserves natural resources. Now run by the fifth generation of family members, Swarovski Crystal Business has a global reach with approximately 2,480 stores in around 170 countries, more than 24,000 employees, and revenue of about 2.33 billion euros in 2013. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) and Tyrolit (abrasives), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group. In 2013, the Group generated revenue of about 3.02 billion euros and employed more than 30,000 people. SWAROVSKI.COM

About SickKids Foundation
Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids – one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions. Thanks to the generosity of the community, and as a result of a record-breaking year in fundraising and investment returns, SickKids Foundation invested an unprecedented $129.3 million in grants and charitable activities for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. For more information, please visit www.sickkidsfoundation.com.

SOURCE: Swarovski

Kate Buitenhuis, Edelman (for Swarovski Canada), 416-849-3360, [email protected]; Jeri Brown, Media Profile (for Yorkdale Shopping Centre), 416-342-1842, [email protected]