Organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market are planning to go ahead with the event this year with social distancing measures in place.
Currently, the event is still on for November 12 to 15, 2020 on St Mary’s Walk and Montpellier Hill.
They will ask all traders and visitors to bring a mask or face covering in all parts of the market and to observe the rules of the day.
There will be hand sanitiser stations at every entrance, a one way system around the craft and gift marquee and no food and drink marquee.
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Around 180 stalls have already signed up for the event but the organisers will not take any fees until they get the green light – something they hope to get in the next month.
One of the concerns for the organisers is the coach travel industry. They fear for the 9000 people that use coaches to get to the event if coaches cannot carry more people.
Brian Dunsby OBE, Harrogate Christmas Market, told The Stray Ferret:
“We are hopeful that we will get the approval from the authorities. We normally get around 80,000 people but we are not expecting anything like that this time. I think that Harrogate needs this market to go ahead, the retailers would definitely miss it.”
Unlike other Christmas markets around the country, the Harrogate Christmas Market focuses on Yorkshire traders. It bucks the trend of French and German markets elsewhere in the UK.
