Mercato, one of the first major shopping malls in Dubai, will host a ten-day “Cake Celebration” as part of Dubai Summer Surprises, a shopping and family extravaganza running in Dubai malls.

The event will open on June 24 and run until July 4.

The mall will hold its annual “Jumeirah Giant Charity Cake Sale” on June 26, which has gained popularity over the past 6 years, and will be held in support of the Dubai Autism Center. Cake prices start at Dh30 ($8.20) and all proceeds will be donated to the center in order to help raise awareness for autism.

On the weekend of July 2 to 4, visitors can join celebrity chef Chady Zaitouni, who will be cooking up a storm with food demonstrations, competitions and live cooking performances. Chef Chady will take you on a culinary journey to learn the secrets of Italian cuisine.

“Dubai Summer Surprises is that time of the year when Mercato and Town Centre Jumeirah prepare a host of exciting activities for shoppers and families alike,” said Rana Jaser, PR and corporate communication manager of Mercato & Town Centre Jumeirah.

“The Cake Celebration event is a new addition to this year’s itinerary of events and visitors and residents will be surprised with some of the best shopping discounts, prizes worth millions, and entertainment events for the whole family.”

Chefs from the Rotana Hotels group will compete against each other in a cake decorating competition from June 29 to July 1, with cakes auctioned off to visitors immediately after they are completed. All proceeds will go to the Dubai Autism Centre, and the Rotana Hotel whose cakes raise the most amount of money will be judged the best cake decorator and awarded a prize.

The Cinnabon Baking Activity will offer fun for the little ones from June 28 to July 4. Children of all ages can look forward to a fun filled activity where they will learn how to make and decorate their own pastries.

Sales and prizes

During the festival, Mercato and its sister mall, Town Centre Jumeirah, will jointly run a fabulous Spend-2-Win promotion. For every purchase of Dh200 in any outlet in either mall, customers will be entered into a draw to win a total of Dh4,500,000 in cash as part of the raffle draw organized by Dubai Shopping Malls Group during Dubai Summer Surprises.

There will be 10 weekly winners of Dh50,000 each. Furthermore, regular customers can look forward to a grand prize exclusive to the two malls - a luxury Mercedes Benz CLK.

The Porto Vecchio Village on the first floor of Mercato will host further discount and prizes. Shoppers can request a free discount booklet at the customer service desk and receive extra discounts for stores in the Porto Vecchio Village.

Any purchase made in the Porto Vecchio Village entitles shoppers to enter a draw to win even more prizes including a 5-star family holiday for four to Cyprus, courtesy of the Holiday Lounge by Dnata, jewellery and gift vouchers. – TradeArabia News Service