Knaresborough Christmas Market is making a comeback after last year’s cancellation with the organising committee promising a “Yorkshire experience to remember”.

The market will take place in the town’s Market Square on December 4 and 5.

There will be almost 50 stalls selling Christmas decorations, gifts and locally sourced produce.

While visitors sip on their mulled wine they can also enjoy live entertainment from local dancers, choirs and brass bands.

As in previous years, the market will culminate with a fireworks display over Knaresborough’s iconic viaduct at 4.30pm on Sunday, December 5.

Market chair, Hazel Haas, said:

“Sadly we had to cancel last year’s market, so there is a real buzz in the town about its return. It’s been a difficult 18 months for Knaresborough residents and businesses and we wanted to give everyone something to look forward to.”

The Christmas Market committee has been working with other local organisations to promote all festive events in the town in the hope of encouraging more people to visit.

The not-for-profit committee are also supporting Knaresborough RAF Cadets, Knaresborough Lions, Rotary Knaresborough, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Knaresborough Cricket Club.

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A free park and ride will operate from the GSPK car park, postcode HG5 8LF, from Manse Lane to Chapel Street, near the Market Square.

The Knaresborough market will take place on the same weekend as a new Christmas market in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

Organised by Little Bird markets, it will be an artisan markets with 60 local and regional traders and producers selling festive arts and crafts, clothing, homeware and jewellery, as well as food and drink.

The finalists in the search to find the Harrogate district’s community champion were invited to perform the official Christmas lights switch-on in Harrogate last night.

Lauren Doherty, Greta Knight, Susie Little, Helen Mackenzie, Mark Oldfield and Cath Wilson asked to perform the duties outside the Victoria Shopping Centre at 5pm.

Mark was unable to attend but the five others were there, along with representatives from Harrogate Business Improvement District.

Those selected are finalists in Harry’s Heroes — an event run by the Stray Ferret in conjunction with former BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration and Harrogate Spring Water to find the people in the district doing exceptional things to help others in the community.

The BID, which organised the switch-on, did not publicise it in advance this year to avoid any covid risk caused by crowds gathering.

The BID, which is funded by a levy on businesses, aims to increase footfall in Harrogate town centre and boost trade.

It is also involved with this year’s Christmas Shop Window contest as well as the Father Christmas Experience at the Crown Hotel.

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The Christmas Gift and Food Fair at Ripon Cathedral will return this month.

The popular event is usually staged annually but could covid restrictions meant it did not happen in 2020.

This year it will take place for the first time over two days, on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 November from 9.30am to 4.30pm on both days.

There will be 95 stalls offering a wide selection of unusual gifts, crafts and local food.

A pop-up café will serve hot turkey sandwiches, mulled wine, hot drinks and homemade cakes.

Ripon Cathedral

Live Christmas music will be provided by local choirs over lunchtime on both days in the ornate setting of the cathedral’s quire.

The fair is popular with families and although Santa will not be attending this year, there will be craft activities for children, who will be able to decorate a Christmas bauble to take home and hang on their tree.

Harrogate solicitors Raworths and Leeds wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin are supporting the event as part of their business partnership with the cathedral.

Zoe Robinson, managing partner at Raworths said:

“As a business partner, Raworths is delighted to play a part in the preservation and development of the Cathedral and to support local community-based events organised by Ripon Cathedral’s team, such as the wonderful annual Christmas Fair.”

Entry is £5 payable on the door by card or cash or online. Entry for accompanied children is free.

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The new Harrogate Christmas Fayre is set to showcase local charities when the festive market comes to town next month.

Organisers Market Place Europe have set aside a stall for 10 charities, which they can use to raise awareness and fundraise.

Across the 10 days, Samaritans of Harrogate and District, Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Dementia Forward, Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, Harrogate Easier Living Project, Citizens Advice Craven and Harrogate Districts, Harrogate International Festivals, Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity and Horticap will also use the stall.

A press release today by Harrogate Borough Council, which is organising the event in partnership with Market Place Europe, said the charities ‘were identified through the council’s Local Lotto initiative’, which conducts weekly prize draws that generate money for local charities.

Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe, said:

“Almost 50 coach companies are set to arrive across the 10 days, along with the thousands of Harrogate district residents and regional visitors, so it is anticipated that traders, local businesses and charities are going to benefit from the additional footfall the fayre will bring.”

The organisers hope the stall will help fill the void left by the original Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill, which over the last five events contributed more than £90,000 to local charities.

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Gemma Rio, Harrogate Borough Council’s head of destination management, said:

“There is a lot of excitement building for the market, and we are anticipating thousands of people visiting Harrogate this festive period, so I’d like to thank Market Place Europe for donating a stall that will no doubt raise the profile of local charities and The Local Lotto.”

Location and dates for new Harrogate Christmas Fayre

The Harrogate Christmas Fayre will feature around 50 stallholders on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.. They will be spaced out wider than usual to encourage social distancing.

• When – December 3 to December 12, Monday to Wednesday – 10am to 7pm, Thursday to Saturday – 10am to 9pm, and Sundays — 10am to 5pm
• Where – Across the town centre with stalls on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent
• What – 50 traders with a mixture of local and European stallholders
• Who – Market Place Europe is working with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate BID

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…So, with a few changes to the plans this year, we have compiled this guide of everything you need to know about Harrogate’s Christmas markets.

After the loss of the original Harrogate Christmas Market, the festive offering has splintered into three markets.

While some of the original stalls will be at the newly-refurbished Crimple Hall at the end of November, new stall holders will be at events across the town centre and Valley Gardens in December.

Harrogate Christmas Fayre across the town centre

Market Place Europe is taking on the main event in Harrogate but rather than Montpellier Hill this new Harrogate Christmas Fayre will take place across the town centre.

There will be a mixture of local and European stallholders on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.

The Harrogate Christmas Fayre will feature around 50 traders spaced out wider than usual to try to encourage social distancing.

Rather than the usual four-day market, the Market Place Europe event will take place over a week from December 3 until December 12.

• When – December 3 until December 12, Monday to Wednesday – 10am to 7pm, Thursday to Saturday – 10am to 9pm, and Sundays from 10am to 5pm
• Where – Across the town centre with stalls on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent
• What – 50 traders with a mixture of local and European stallholders
• Who – Market Place Europe is working with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate BID

Market Place Europe is behind the Harrogate Christmas Fayre.

Christmas Market Weekend at Crimple Hall

Brian Dunsby, co-organiser of Harrogate Christmas Market, has worked with some of the stallholders who were planning to go to his cancelled event to get them at a new venue.

Crimple Hall will hold the Christmas Market Weekend, which will feature more than 20 food and craft stalls.

There will also be plenty of children’s activities, a festive animal farm, face painting, treasure trails, wreath making demonstration and live music.

The Christmas Market at Crimple Hall will be held on November 27 and 28, from 8am to 7pm on the Saturday and 10am to 4pm on the Sunday.

• When – November 27 and 28, 8am to 7pm on Saturday and 10 am to 4pm on the Sunday
• Where – Newly refurbished Crimple Hall on Leeds Road
• What – More than 20 food and craft stalls with plenty of activities
• Who – Crimple Hall is working with the organisers of the original Harrogate Christmas Market

There will be a festive offering at the new Crimple Hall.

Artisan Christmas market in Valley Gardens

Little Bird Made, which has made a name for itself across North Yorkshire with its artisan markets, is set to hold a festive version of its market in Valley Gardens.

More than 60 local traders and producers will sell a variety of festive arts and crafts, clothing, homeware, jewellery, as well as locally produced food and drink.

This is a new addition to the town called Artisan Festive Market, with the organisers working with Harrogate Borough Council.

It will be held on the weekend of December 4 and 5 between 10am and 3pm.

• When – December 4 and 5, 10am to 3pm
• Where – Valley Gardens
• What – More than 60 local traders sell a variety of festive arts and crafts plus food and drink
• Who – Little Bird Made, which has run a number of artisan markets in the district

The Artisan Festive Market will be held in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

A new Christmas-themed advent walk has been created in the Pinewoods, featuring decorated bird boxes for visitors to find.

Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity that promotes the conservation of the woodlands, has teamed up with Ripon-based charity Jennyruth Workshops for the project. 

Jennyruth Workshops, which uses craft to help people with learning disabilities, has built and decorated 24 numbered bird boxes, plus a few extras. Each box will be displayed with a plaque showing the name of the worker who hand painted it.

Lucy Hind, who organised the event for the Pinewoods Conservation Group, said:

“We know residents and visitors alike continue to enjoy the Pinewoods, so we wanted to add some additional interest coming up to Christmas. These new bird boxes are a great addition and in line with our conservation efforts and gives us opportunity to support Jennyruth Workshop too.”

Nicky Newell, chief executive of Jennyruth Workshop, added:

“The Jennyruth Workshop team has really enjoyed being part of this project. The Christmas theme allowed our workers to be very creative with some amazing designs being produced.

“We really appreciate The Pinewoods for involving us and allowing us to showcase a small range of the products we produce and sell.”

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To help fund the event, Pinewoods Conservation Group is looking for 24 people, businesses, or organisations to sponsor a bird box at £20 each.

In January, following the event, supporters will be able to collect their bird box to keep or donate it to The Pinewoods to support their ongoing conservation efforts.

Ripon’s only toy shop has moved to a new location in time for Christmas.

Although The Easy Learning Shop has only relocated a matter of feet, owner Pete Wilkinson believes it can make a big difference.

He has moved from inside the Duck Hill Shopping Quarter to a unit on Duck Hill with a street frontage.

Mr Wilkinson told the Stray Ferret:

“This is something I’ve wanted for some time, as it gives me the opportunity to do window displays that change through the year, with Christmas an obvious time to try and catch people’s eyes.”

Animal glove puppets at the Easy Learning Shop

The shop, which sells traditional wooden toys and games, alongside puppets, books and goods designed to help educate children as they play, opened four years ago, when Mr Wilkinson was forced to change career.

He said:

“I was a bus driver for 18 years and used to drive the 36 double deckers, but that came to an abrupt halt after I sustained serious back injuries in a fall, which made driving buses too painful.

“I had to look for something else to do to earn a living and that’s when I decided to go into retail and I’m pleased to say that things have worked out.”

Since the move on Monday, he has already attracted new customers and he looks forward to building on that as the festive season rapidly approaches.

Shops across Harrogate’s town centre are once again set to dazzle shoppers as they take part in this year’s Christmas Shop Window competition.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has partnered with the Rotary Club of Harrogate to organise and judge the annual festive contest.

It aims to promote town centre shops and push the ‘shop local’ message in the run-up to Christmas.

Businesses have until 8am on November 30 to dress up the windows. Shorlisting will take place on December 1 and the winner will be found on December 2.

The judges will be looking for three elements: illumination, innovation and the sprit of Christmas.

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The contest will be restricted to 50 businesses within the BID’s quarters of Kings, Montpellier, Victoria and West Park.

As in previous years there are three separate categories for large, medium and small retailers.

The overall winner will take home a special certificate and a bouquet of flowers.

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“Last year, despite the restrictions that covid placed on retailers, Harrogate town centre looked fantastic thanks to our Christmas lights and the efforts of not just shops, but hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants and businesses across the whole town. I suspect that this year, town will look even more festive.”

Competition organiser and Rotary Club of Harrogate member, Graham Saunders, added:

“We are pleased that the competition is back to normal. We look forward to judging the shops and sharing in the awards ceremony.”

Which shops last year?

Mama Doreen’s Emporium was the winner in the large shops category, Helen James Flowers won the medium shops category, and Boho Chic, on West Parade, was the winner in the small shops category.

Helen James Flowers took the overall top spot.

Christmas is coming to Boroughbridge with an evening of late-night shopping, Christmas tree lights and Santa on a sleigh.

On December 1st shops will stay open until 8pm as people visit the town to watch the lights switch on.

The lights on the Christmas tree on Hall Square – at the bottom of the high street – will be switched on by Radio York’s Georgey Spanswick and the Mayor, Pat Taylor.

Organisers Boroughbridge Chamber of Trade said businesses were eager for it to return after last year’s covid cancellation. For many, it’s the best night for trade across the year.

It’s not just shops getting involved, the Boroughbridge Lions have organised for Santa and his sleigh to be there as well as street stalls and choir performances.

Chamber president, Derek Hufton, said the town is usually “crawling” with visitors and is hoping for similar levels this year:

“Following last year’s cancellation there’s a great enthusiasm building for this year’s event.

“The community spirit in Boroughbridge is very strong and the late-night Christmas shopping event is not just about local businesses but also very much about the community gathering and enjoying a great festive evening.”

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The official switch on begins at 5.30pm.

The shops will also be taking part in a window display competition, to be judged on the night.

Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity is asking for donations for its Christmas hamper campaign.

Last year the charity provided over 1,000 hampers to families and children in need in North Yorkshire, County Durham, Gateshead and Sunderland.

This year it hopes to spread even more festive cheer by sending 1,200 hampers.

It is asking businesses to donate non-perishable foods, drinks, new books or other festive goodies to fill up the hampers.

Yvonne Campbell, head of charity and business development project manager at the charity, said

“Last year we had wonderful feedback from those who received our festive hampers, and after another difficult year we would like to impart the same magical feeling to those who are vulnerable or in need across the Harrogate and District Foundation Trust footprint.

“Any support will make a huge impact to those in need this winter.”

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HHCC is the charity for Harrogate District Hospital and community health services. It raises funds to help patients and their families, fund specialist equipment, training and services. It also raises funds for individual departments and services.

To offer hamper donations, email hdft.hhcc@nhs.net before October 28.