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22
Aug 2021
Original Harrogate Christmas Market will not return next year
The original Harrogate Christmas Market will not return next year after Harrogate Borough Council entered into formal talks with an organiser from Manchester.
Brian Dunsby, who established the Christmas market in 2012 and built it up to a success, has admitted defeat in his battle to hold the event on Montpellier Hill.
Harrogate Borough Council refused the licence at the end of July and has now revealed that Market Place Europe is now planning to hold a smaller event in December.
Read more:
- Manchester firm set to take on Harrogate Christmas Market
- Crunch talks to save Harrogate Christmas Market
After three weeks of wrangling with the council Brian Dunsby told the Stray Ferret:
Mr Dunsby does not plan to hold the Harrogate Christmas Market this year of next but thinks there may be an opportunity for it to return in 2023. He added:
The orginial Harrogate Christmas Market had around 170 traders booked in, 55 coaches and it expected to attract around 90,000 visitors for the four-day event.
Harrogate Borough Council refused a licence for Brian Dunsby's event at the end of July.
It said that the event management plan did not fully take into account overcrowding, counter-terrorism and the ongoing risk of coronavirus.
However, Market Place Europe is planning to host 45 stalls with a mixture of European and local traders over 10 days at a yet undisclosed location in the town centre.
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