Bonfire Night is approaching. From torch-lit processions and alpacas to live music and traditional bonfires, we’ve collated a list of bonfires in the Harrogate district.
If you know of an event we haven’t included, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will add it.
Ripon City Bonfire
Ripon City Bonfire will take place at Ripon Racecourse.
The bonfire will be lit at 7pm and fireworks will begin at 7.30pm
Gates open at 5.30pm.
Advance tickets start at £2 and can be bought at various venues in the city.
No own fireworks other than sparklers are permitted for safety reasons.
There will be no parking available at the racecourse due to the poor weather conditions.
Spofforth village fireworks
The event will be held at Spofforth Cricket Club.
There will be hot food, a bar and live music to enjoy ahead of the fireworks display.
Gates open at 5pm.
Family tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought at the village deli or post office.
Knaresborough Cricket Club and Aspin Park Academy PTA Fireworks Night
The event will be held at Knaresborough Cricket Club.
As well as a firework display, guests can expect food and drink, music and light-up toys for sale.
Gates open at 6pm and fireworks will be lit at 7pm.
Tickets start at £3 and can be bought at the gate.
Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party
Belmont Grosvenor School will host a bonfire party in the school grounds.
There will be a bonfire, fireworks, food and drinks stalls, children’s activities, and music.
Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display will begin at 7.20pm.
Tickets are free for U18s and cost £10 for adults. They can be bought at the gate or by contacting the PTA on pta@belmontgrosvenor.co.uk or 07525 907156.
Anyone is welcome to attend.
Stray Bonfire. Pic: Mark Dimmock.
Stray Bonfire, Harrogate
The bonfire will be lit on the Oatlands Stray near to St Aidan’s Church of England High School.
It will take place from 5pm until 8.30pm and include fireworks, food and drink, and live music.
The event is free to attend but Harrogate Round Table, which is a charity, encourages donations. Proceeds will go towards Harrogate Homeless Project.
Yolk Farm, Minskip
Yolk Farm, near Boroughbridge, is hosting a dog and baby-friendly event without fireworks.
There will still be a bonfire and tickets include entry to the yard where visitors can see the animals, including goats and alpacas, as well as the opportunity to feed the pigs.
Hot food will also be on offer.
Gates open at 5.30pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm
Tickets can be bought online for £5.
Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire
The event will be held at Pateley Bridge Showground.
Guests can expect a torchlit procession and bonfire, which begin at 6.30pm, and fireworks at 7pm.
There will also be hot food and a best Guy competition.
Entry is by donation and doors open at 6pm.
No sparklers are allowed.
Masham Bonfire
Masham Bonfire will be held on The Holme.
Food will be served from 5.30pm, followed by the bonfire at 6.15pm.
There will also be a firework display at 7pm.
The event is free to attend.
Kirkby Malzeard Community Bonfire
The event will be held at North Close Farm.
There will be a bonfire, fireworks and food and drink on offer.
Gates open at 6pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm.
It is free to attend but organisers have asked for donations to continue running the events.
Sparklers are not permitted.
Birstwith Community Bonfire
Birstwith bonfire will be held on the field behind West House on Nidd Lane.
As well as the bonfire, which will be lit at 5.30pm, visitors can enjoy a bar, hot dogs and a children’s stall.
Organisers will be raising money for a vehicle-activated speed sign near Birstwith School.
No dogs or sparklers are permitted.
Gates open at 5pm.
Wath & Melmerby Community Bonfire
The event will be held Roger Clarke Motor Engines in Melmerby.
Visitors can expect a bonfire, fireworks, a BBQ and a bar.
It begins at 6pm and tickets cost £5 per family.
Lightwater Valley, Ripon
Lightwater Valley will put on a firework display accompanied by the music of Swan Lake.
Admission is included in a day entry ticket.
The display will begin at 5.15pm.
The Queen’s Head, Kettlesing
The Queen’s Head will have a bonfire and fireworks on offer.
There will also be pizzas, sparklers and a charity cake to stand available.
The event will be fundraising for Felliscliffe School.
It begins at 5pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6pm.
Entry is £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16.
Scotton Cricket Club
The event will be held at the cricket club on Lower Moor Lane.
Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.45pm and the firework display will begin at 7.30pm.
Visitors can look forward to a bar, a BBQ and a cake stall.
Car parking is limited, so organisers have recommended people walk or car share to the event.
Donations are welcome on entry.
Harrogate Railway Football Club
A firework display will be held at the club, which is on Station View in Starbeck.
There will be a DJ, fairground rides, a bar and a BBQ on offer.
The event is in association with Friends of Starbeck School and entry is £2.
Gates open at 4pm, followed by fireworks at 6.30pm.
There is no parking available at the venue.
Stray bonfire and fireworks hailed a success after big turnout
The organisers of Saturday’s Stray bonfire and fireworks have announced they have raised a minimum of £4,061 for Harrogate Homeless Project.
An estimated 10,000 people attended the event, which included a bonfire after Harrogate and District Round Table initially decided against the idea.
Andy Rickard, one of the volunteers at the Round Table, said the event had exceeded expectations by generating around £20,000.
He said when the costs of staging the event were deducted it left £4,061.
Picture by Mark Dimmock
Donations are still open, with the Round Table pledging to match fund up to £1,000.
The volunteer-run event, which is now in its 51st year, is funded entirely by donations and sponsorship.
Mr Rickard said he was concerned before the night that the gofundme appeal had only raised about half as much as last year.
But better-than-expected cash and card payments on the night, along with sponsorship funds and percentage takings from the food, bar and face painting stalls boosted the total. He said
“We do try to develop the event every year and are pleased with the addition of a licensed bar which proved very popular, we also hope that the provision of toilets was appreciated.
“We’ve already started reviewing what we could improve and welcome feedback. We did look at replacing the bonfire with a funfair based on the feedback survey from last year so would encourage people to give us their thoughts as we start planning next year.”
Picture by Mark Dimmock
Francis McAllister, chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project, said the Round Table’s support would “make a huge difference to our clients”, adding:
“It was a fantastic event, well organised and everyone seemed to enjoy it.”
A survey to gather people’s views on the event can be completed here.
Donations can still be pledged here.
Harrogate pub evacuated due to fireA Harrogate pub was evacuated late this afternoon after fire broke out in the kitchen.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service received two calls from the pub at 5.07pm today saying there was a fire in the kitchen.
The emergency service, which has not said which pub was involved, tweeted this evening:
“The venue had been evacuated and the fire had been extinguished using a fire blanket prior to our arrival but we ensured the area was safe.”
Less than an hour later, just before 6pm, fire crews were. also called to reports of six people stuck in a lift in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted at 6.18pm that “our crews are assisting with this”.
November 5 is one of the busiest nights of the year for firefighters.
The emergency service tweeted:
“We hope you are all enjoying yourselves this bonfire night but stay safe.”
Guide to bonfire and fireworks displays in the Harrogate district
This story is sponsored by Belmont Grosvenor School which will be holding a Bonfire Night Party on Friday, November 4. There will be s’mores round the campfire, music, hot food, a licensed bar, stalls and more. Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display starts at 7.20pm.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate and cost £10 for adults (children under the age of 18 are free). Get them in advance by emailing kaye.walker@bewonder.co.uk.
Bonfire night is fast approaching so we have put together a list of events coming up in the Harrogate district.
They all take place over the weekend of November 4, 5 and 6.
Let us know if we have missed your event and we will add it to the list. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197.
Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party
Where: Belmont Grosvenor School, Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 2JG
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm fire lit, 7.20pm firework display
Tickets: £10 with children under the age of 18 entering for free
Ripon Rowels Rotary Charity Bonfire and Firework Display
Where: Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, HG4 1UG
When: 5.30pm start, 7pm fire lit, 7.30pm firework display
Tickets: adults £6, children £3, family (2 adult, 2 child) £12, under 3s free
Spofforth Village Firework Display
Where: Spofforth Cricket Ground, School Lane, Spofforth, HG3 1BA
When: Gates open 5pm, 7pm-7.15pm firework display.
Tickets: Family pre-paid £12:50 and on the gate £15. Adult pre-paid £4 and on the gate £5. Child pre-paid £2:50 and on the gate £3.
Swinton Bivouac Silent Bonfire Night
Where: Swinton Bivouac, Masham, Ilton, Ripon, HG4 4JZ
When: 6.30pm bonfire lit. There will be no fireworks or loud bangs.
Tickets: free entry, food and drinks available from the Bivouac Café
Aspin Park Academy Fireworks Night, Knaresborough
Where: School grounds
When: 5.15pm start, 6.30pm firework display
Tickets: Advance online booking – adults £4, children £3, family ticket £12, preschoolers free. On the gate – adults £5, children £4
Harrogate Stray Bonfire and Fireworks, Harrogate Round Table
Where: Oatlands Stray, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ
When: 5pm start (there will be entertainment), bonfire lit 5.30pm, 7.15pm firework display
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire
Where: Pateley Bridge Showground
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm torchlit procession and bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Kirkby Malzeard community village bonfire
Where: North Close Farm, Ripon Road, Kirkby Malzeard
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: Free entry but donations welcome to fund next year’s event. Parking is available at North Close Farm. No sparklers allowed. Bring a torch.
Yolk Farm Bonfire and Burger Night – dog-friendly
Where: Yolk Farm, Minskip Road, Minskip, York, YO51 9HY
When: 5.30pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, no fireworks
Tickets: free entry for the event, advanced bookings only for Burger Night in the restaurant – 5:30pm and 8pm sittings
Staveley Arms Bonfire
Where: The Staveley Arms, Greenfields, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT
When: 6pm
Tickets: £5 per person to include a choice of hot dog or cup of soup
The organisers of the annual Bonfire Night celebrations in Tockwith have said the event will not take place this year.
Tockwith and District Agricultural Society has previously used the bonfire and fireworks to raise funds for the village show in the summer.
However, the committee has decided not to run it this year because of the amount of work involved and the difficulties of using the showfield site.
Committee chair Georgina Watson said:
“It was a hard decision for the committee but ultimately our focus as an agricultural society is making sure we can put on the annual Tockwith Show.
“We have just held an incredibly successful show in August, but organising it, staging it on the day and most importantly clearing up the field afterwards involved a tremendous amount of work by a relatively small group of volunteers, and the burden of organising the Bonfire Night event would have fallen on the shoulders of that same group.
“Unlike the show itself the Bonfire Night event is totally at the mercy of the weather but still involves the same amount of hard work, so given both reasons we have with regret decided to cancel the event.”
The event was held last year, after a gap in 2020 because of the covid pandemic. In 2019, it had to be called off at the last minute when heavy rain left the showfield waterlogged.
The waterlogged field in 2019. Photo: Tockwith and District Agricultural Society
The announcement this week follows a decision by Harrogate’s Round Table to alter the format of its event on the Stray.
Rather than a bonfire, the volunteers said they would offer family entertainments including fairground rides, as well as the popular firework display.
A survey of the public after last year’s event found people were ambivalent about the bonfire, which the Round Table said was expensive and challenging to organise.
Are you putting on a community Bonfire Night event? Email the details to us for our round-up next month.
Top bonfire night foodie treats from across the Harrogate district
Remember, remember the Fifth of November, toffee, parkin and ale…
Yes bonfire night is here! It’s time to wrap-up warm, dig out our hats and gloves, light the sparklers and watch fireworks illuminate the sky.
With events more or less entirely called off due to covid last year, 2021 is a chance for families to make up for lost time.
And that also includes all the amazing food and drink that comes with the celebrations.
Here are some of our top food and drink picks for bonfire night from across the district:
Farrah’s Original Harrogate Toffee.
A real British classic, the jaw-breaking treacle toffee, known as bonfire toffee, dates back hundreds of years.
And Harrogate certainly knows how to do toffee with style, with the famous Farrah’s blue tins selling in shops all over the world.
Farrah’s was established in 1840 and the Original Harrogate Toffee was designed to clear the palate of the putrid taste of Harrogate’s Sulphur Water. Fortunately we can now just eat it for pleasure – and it’s perfect for bonfire night!
Natalie Smith, manager of Farrah’s Olde Sweet Shop, said:
“Our world famous Harrogate Toffee has often been comparable to the delicious taste of bonfire toffee. It’s brittle, butterscotch, treacle-like texture is full of flavour and the perfect accompaniment to a bonfire night feast.
Whether it’s the Harrogate or bonfire toffee you’re after, at this time of you they are both a guaranteed sell-out. Be sure not to miss out and visit the shop to grab yours now.”
Betty’s Yorkshire Parkin.
In Yorkshire, parkin is as much a part of bonfire night as sparklers, toffee apples and hoping that the rain stays away. It’s a real warm, cosy scarf of a cake, deliciously sticky and with a fiery ginger kick.
Like bonfires themselves, the tradition of eating parkin here at this time of year is much older than the Gunpowder Plot. The origins are unclear – they could be pagan or linked to All Saints’ Day – but for centuries it’s been enjoyed at the start of November, usually on ‘Parkin Sunday’.
We have the brisk Yorkshire climate that favours oats over wheat to thank for parkin. Over time the recipe has been sweetened and spiced to become the treat we know today.
And we all know Bettys does a fabulous Yorkshire parkin.
A spokesperson for Bettys said:
“Parkin has been a Bettys favourite for almost as long as Bettys has existed. We love making it because it’s so perfectly suited to its season – sticky, warming, hearty. It’s hard to imagine bonfire night without it.”
Hustle & Co’s Bonfire bagel.
Hustle & Co, on Harrogate’s Station Parade, will be opening a little later on Saturday for those who are on their way to the Stray Bonfire.
And for those who fancy something a little different this year, the independent healthy-eating cafe has created a special bonfire bagel and lots of amazing drinks to keep you warm, including a hot spiked apple cider.
Spiked apple cider at Hustle & Co.
The bonfire bagel is gluten free and features dill cheese, seasoned spinach, scrambled egg, smoked salmon and caper crisps. As well as the cider, which will definitely warm the cockles, drinks also include flamed orange mocha, peppermint hot chocolate and a gingerbread latte with ginger spice crunch topping.
Nici Routledge, owner of Hustle & Co, said:
“We’re always doing something a little out of the ordinary at Hustle & Co and this month’s festivities are no different. We’ve got lots of specialty warming hot drinks.
On this week’s specials board we’ve got some great treats, like our bonfire bagel stack, Mak Tok curry bowl, roasted root soup, sharing boards and lots of sweet treats with autumn spice.
“We look forward to welcoming our lovely guests on their way to the Stray Bonfire on Saturday. We are staying open a little later until 6.30pm and we will have out hot spike apple cider ready for you on your way over to the Stray.”
Taylors Apple and Cinnamon Tea.
Fancy something warming, but without the alcohol, while you enjoy this year’s bonfire night celebrations?
Taylor’s of Harrogate does an awesome apple and cinnamon tea. It might not be an actual toffee apple, but the inspired flavour still totally conjures up those childhood bonfire night memories.
Abigail Sawyer, brand PR specialist for Taylor’s, said:
“Inspired by apple strudel and toffee apples, this caffeine-free treat is spicy and sweet. It is made with real apple pieces and a warming cinnamon spice blend, making it the perfect bonfire night brew.
Turning Point’s Heavy Dreams Barley Wine.
For those who do want something with a bit of a kick, Knaresborough’s Turning Point Brewery does an English-style barley wine, hopped with Godiva, First Gold, and Bullion.
This classic sticky sweet barley wine, with notes of figs, caramel, ripe blackberries, and almonds, is a nice warming drink to swig whilst watching the fireworks.
Aron McMahon, co-founder of Turning Point Brewery, said:
Scotton bonfire will be back but will never burn a Guy“I guess you could say it is the perfect bonfire or autumnal warmer, for ideally sharing with a friend, or family, before heading out to your favourite bonfire display, or celebrating this date at home.
“It is also a very popular style at this time of year as many folk use barley wine as one of their ingredients for making Christmas pud, in advance of those festivities.”
Tonight is fireworks night but events across the Harrogate district have been cancelled.
It is usually a special night in Scotton, the small village on the outskirts of Knaresborough where Guy Fawkes grew up.
Fawkes’ home, Scotton Old Hall, is the most famous landmark in the village and still stands today.
The village always lights a bonfire on November 5 but refuses to burn an effigy out of respect for its former resident.
That does not deter visitors though as the event attracts about 1,500 people each year.
But this year will be different.
Scotton Cricket Club, whose players sport badges displaying Guy Fawkes, organises the event.
The club’s chairman, Andy Marshall, told the Stray Ferret:
“It is a very popular event, people come from all over the country because we have strong connections with Guy Fawkes.
“As we have that connection we will never burn a Guy. Instead we burn other bits of timber and always have a big fireworks display.”
Coronavirus may have forced the event’s cancellation this year but Mr Marshall promises it will be back “bigger and better”.
Don’t hold Bonfire parties at home, urge public health bossesPeople in North Yorkshire have been urged not to hold Bonfire Night parties at home this year.
Officials from North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of organisations that respond to emergencies, have made the plea and called for residents to consider alternative plans.
The group has published guidance for event organisers, including villages and parish bodies, who may want to hold an event this year.
It comes as events such as the annual Stray bonfire have been cancelled due to coronavirus.
Dr Lincoln Sargaent, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said the forum would “strongly discourage” people from holding events in their gardens.
He said:
“The collective effort of people in North Yorkshire has meant that previously surging infection rates appear to be slowing recently and local outbreaks are being managed. This is excellent work and reflects the significant efforts being made individually and as communities; but we are not out of the woods.
“We need people to remain vigilant and follow the rules on social distancing, hand washing, use of face coverings and limiting the number of people with whom they socialise that apply where they live.
“For Bonfire Night, we would strongly discourage people from holding events in their gardens. Instead, they should look for well-organised events that are covid-secure or consider alternatives to enjoy the night in a safe way.
“We know that the most difficult area for us to tackle is the spread of infection within households and through social interactions, as that is responsible for the majority of the spread of the virus in North Yorkshire.”
Public health bosses in the county have said previously that the may cause of spread of covid is between households.
Dr Sargaent said there had been “very, very few” cases of outbreaks in the hospitality sector.