Mary Fitzgerald Square will be turned into a white winter wonderland and a skate park will be set up on Nelson Mandela Bridge on Sunday, all in the name of fun in the inner city.

There will be skateboarding activities for experienced and aspirant skateboarders

A THICK blanket of snow has been forecast for Mary Fitzgerald Square, in Newtown, on Sunday, 22 June, and the South African Weather Bureau is still oblivious.

According to Venetia Magane, a forecaster at the bureau, Sunday's weather will be fine with no cloudy conditions or rainfall expected - and certainly no snow. "We are expecting fine weather conditions this Sunday," Magane confirms.

But from 10am to 6pm on the day, Snow in the City Family Fun Day will give people the opportunity to cuddle up in their winter woollies and play in the synthetic snow.

There will be ice skating, slope skiing, and snowball fighting, among other fun activities. A skate park will be erected on Nelson Mandela Bridge, for experienced and aspirant skaters. People are encouraged to dust off their boards, or put on their skates and head off for the unique day out. Skates will be available to use on the day for those who don't have their own, as part of the ticket price.

Snow in the City is hosted by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and the fast food chain Nando's. It is designed to lure more people back into the inner city, where they will be able to see the futuristic developments and the inner city regeneration projects that are on the go.

"Not only is the inner city fast becoming a bustling world-class city, but it is looking better than ever," says Lael Bethlehem, the JDA's chief executive officer. "We want to bring people back to the city and show them all the amazing work that has been done to rejuvenate it."

A skate park will be set up on the Mandela Bridge

It is the first such family fun day in the city's cultural precinct, which is southwest of the central business district.

It is the JDA's mandate to bring about economic growth through the development and promotion of efficient business environments in the city. "We want to bring Joburgers into the inner city to witness the snow as well as other developments," Bethlehem confirms. "People must come to enjoy the snow and have fun, and see what is happening in the CBD."

In addition to its fun side, the event is serving a good cause. Each ticket bought for Snow in the City comes with a free blanket, which can be used at the event or donated to Operation Snowball - or both.

Operation Snowball is an annual charity campaign that provides destitute people with basic clothing items and blankets to help them get through the frosty winter months.

Tickets for Snow in the City are R15 each and can be bought at Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000 or through the Computicket website, or at the gate on the day. Ample parking space will be available at various venues in Newtown; motorists will have to follow visible signage.

For more information, telephone Dudu Nhlapo of Riana Greenblo Communications, the publicists, on 011 325 6006.

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