Leeds White Rose Shopping Centre to extend opening hours as families celebrate Eid al-Fitr

April 15 and 16, free crafting events will be held in the White Rose Shopping Centre from 11am to 5pm, where children and families are invited to make their very own Eid money boxes and take part in a variety of moon and star-themed crafts. The crafting events are free and will be open to all.

As well as free crafts to keep families entertained, up to 40 brands across the centre will extend their opening hours, giving guests extra time to prepare for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. All participating brands will open until 10pm on weekdays between April 17 and 21 with well-known brands such as Zara, Next, JD and Primark taking part.

The centre will also be hosting a variety of pop-up stores during the events, including local fashion retailer Aroush Designer Studio, offering Pakistan’s leading brands, and popular luxury brand Janan, showcasing a range of fragrances.

Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Sweets, is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam and falls on April 21-22 this year. The religious holiday marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.

Steven Foster, centre director at White Rose, said: “We are pleased to be marking Eid al-Fitr with a variety of crafting activities and extended opening hours this year. It is an important date in our community’s calendar, and we hope our guests will enjoy the activities that we are hosting here.”

Other activities taking place across the centre during April include a free Burrowing Bunnies Trail, where families are invited to find eight mischievous bunnies hiding around the centre until April 16. Guests are invited to collect a free map so they can locate and tick off the bunnies to receive an Easter treat and a pair of adorable ears.

White Rose boasts more than 100 shops including Flying Tiger, The Entertainer, Build-a-Bear Workshop, and more, plus family-friendly restaurants such as Five Guys, Fridays, and Nando’s – all under one roof. It boasts more than 5,000 free parking spaces and long opening hours, from 10am – 9pm weekdays, 9am – 8pm Saturdays and 11am – 5pm Sundays.