Hundreds of people gathered on Ripon Market Square yesterday for the last large-scale public event of the summer organised by the city council.

Families with children from tots to teenagers came early in the  afternoon to ride the Ferris wheel and roundabout, both of which proved a constant draw until dusk, when tribute acts took centre stage in front of the town hall.

The queue for the Ferris wheel stretched the length of Market Square

Evening entertainment was provided by tribute acts playing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, while the Big Boyband Reunion, played a selection of the chart-topping songs made famous by leading boy bands.

The crowd on Market Square steadily grew throughout the evening.

One of the concert highlights came when the Neil Diamond lookalike and soundalike sang Sweet Caroline, the adopted anthem of the England women’s football team.

Sweet Caroline struck a chord with the Ripon crowd

The Robbie Williams tribute act

Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me rang out before sunset arrived and at 9pm Allison Clark, a member of the Ripon hornblower team (pictured below) provided a reminder of the city’s ancient roots, by performing the nightly setting of the watch ceremony, which has reputedly been carried out  without break for more than eleven hundred years.

You can watch a live video from last night on our Facebook page.

More free Bank Holiday entertainment

The free family-focused entertainment continues in Ripon on Monday, with a street party in Kirkgate from 11am until 4pm and a Spanish-themed fiesta on Minster Gardens from 5pm until 9.30pm.

Organised by independent businesses in the city as part of the Totally Locally initiative developed with Ripon BID, the Bank Holiday event will see the closure of Kirkgate from 9am.

Ripon is preparing for another bank holiday weekend of free family-focused entertainment, featuring live music, fairground rides and a Spanish-flavoured fiesta.

Tomorrow (Saturday) a ferris wheel and Mini Miami ride will be among the attractions on Market Square from 12 noon until 8pm, as part of the last public event of the summer organised by Ripon City Council and financed through the parish precept.

From 7pm until 11pm music will take centre stage, with tribute acts performing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, before the Big Boyband Reunion provides a rousing end to the entertainment.

Popular tunes and ancient tradition will come together at 8.55pm when a member of the Ripon hornblower team sets the city watch with blasts of their horn at the four corners of the obelisk.

The Easter street party in Kirkgate brought hundreds of visitors to the city

Bank Holiday Monday street party

As a follow-up to the highly-successful Easter Bank Holiday Monday street party held in Kirkgate, Ripon’s independent businesses have joined forces once more to arrange an event designed to draw visitors into the city and entertain local residents.

Kirkgate will close to traffic from 9am, for a day of entertainment running from 11am until 4pm and including buskers and on-street food and drink offers.

Between 5pm and 9.30pm, Minster Gardens will be transformed into a musical fiesta venue, with decorative lighting for a paella picnic among the trees.

The entertainment will be provided by Knaresborough Vista Social Club, Bailey Brown and virtuoso Ukrainian violinist Nadia.

There will be a horsebox bar and a pop-up paella restaurant supplied by Manchega Tapas Restauarant, whose owner, Richard Hughes, said:

“Ripon should be the destination for anyone visiting the north of England! It has everything to offer.”

He added:

“This whole event is an example of the local business community promoting a can-do attitude.  It has been funded almost entirely by donations from local businesses and also by sponsorship from Voneus Broadband, along with ongoing administrative support from the Ripon BID, as part of the excellent Totally Locally initiative.”

The ice rink, carousel and ferris wheel that have become key features of Harrogate town centre over the last month are set to close.

Harrogate Borough Council introduced the attractions to attract local people and tourists to the area over the festive season.

The Christmas offering began on December 2 with the opening of Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which consisted of about 50 market stalls in town centre streets, along with the ice rink, carousel and 32-metre ferris wheel.

The fayre and the free candy cane express road train, which transported people around town, lasted 10 days.

Since then the festive feel has continued with the ice rink, carousel and other fairground rides at Crescent Gardens and the ferris wheel in the very centre of town alongside the war memorial.

The ferris wheel is due to make its last rotation at 5pm tonight. The attractions at Crescent Gardens will end tomorrow.

The council organised the activities in partnership with events company Market Place Europe, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Events By Cynosure.

Details of the costs and impact on the local economy have yet to be released.

Read more:

• Here we go! Harrogate’s Christmas activities begin tomorrow — here’s your guide
• £2 cap on Harrogate district bus fares starts today

This week’s photograph was taken by Nick Payne, capturing the lights and movement on the Ferris Wheel during this year’s Christmas Fraye.

Nick Payne

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

This story is sponsored by Events by Cynosure.

Harrogate’s incredible Christmas offering is here to stay until the new year with plenty of festive fun to be had at the incredible Ferris wheel, ice rink, traditional carousel and more.

All of these showstopping attractions are new for Harrogate and will be here until January 3 – so now’s the time to get your skates on!

The giant, illuminated Ferris wheel is in a great location, right in the centre of town.

At its peak of 32-metres, the Ferris wheel offers spectacular views both in the day but also at night with the town centre dressed up for the festive season.

The giant wheel is a great way to experience the town from above.

There’s no need to book ahead for the Ferris wheel so just turn up when you’re ready to experience Harrogate from above.

A true fairground feeling

The fairground feeling at Crescent Gardens is not to be missed either, especially at night when the festoon lighting switches on.

With a traditional carousel, ice rink, fairground rides for children and an aprés ski bar for adults – there’s certainly something at Crescent Gardens for everyone.

The traditional carousel looks the part.

Sessions at the ice rink are 60 minutes, so there’s plenty of time to find your feet and make the most of the experience.

It’s perfect for families, dates, catching up with friends, Christmas parties with a twist or those wanting to learn with the skate school.

John Lowery, Director of Events by Cynosure, said:

“We have been very pleased with the attendance from all over the country this Christmas.

“We are looking forward to seeing more visit us before we close on January 3, 2023. We are even open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day so there are plenty of chances to enjoy this magical experience.

“This is the first year of a three year contract and we already have some amazing plans for 2023 Christmas.”

Book ahead for the ice rink and secure your timeslot by clicking or tapping here.

The first skaters took to the ice and the giant Ferris wheel wheel began turning as Harrogate’s Christmas festivities got underway.

Fog lifted at noon just in time for people to get a great view of the festivities, including the 50 market stalls, ice rink and more from the top of the 32-metre Ferris wheel.

The Christmas Fayre is running with the Candy Cane Express road train from today until December 11 but many of the rides including the ice rink, ferris wheel and carousel will stay in the town centre until January 3.

Read our comprehensive guide to Harrogate’s Christmas fun here. Check out our gallery from this morning for a taste of the fun:

A Ferris wheel has started to be installed in Harrogate as the countdown to the town’s Christmas activities begins.

The 32-metre wheel, which is being assembled alongside the war memorial, will be one of the highlights of Harrogate’s Christmas offering.

Other highlights include an ice rink in Crescent Gardens, a Christmas market featuring about 50 stalls, the Candy Cane Express road train and a carousel.

The wheel, also known as an observation wheel, previously stood in York.

Harrogate’s seasonal festivities are due to get underway on Friday. The market will operate until December 11 but the other activities will continue into the New Year.

Harrogate Borough Council is organising the festivities with a range of partners.

John McGivern, destination events manager at the council’s tourism body Destination Harrogate, told Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce this month the ambition was to “position Harrogate district as a first choice Christmas destination” and to attract high spending visitors on day trips and overnight breaks.

The view from Bettys this morning.

Read more:

• York Ferris wheel coming to Harrogate for Christmas
• Judges cast their votes on Ripon’s Christmas windows

Work began today to put up the ice rink which will be one of the main features of Harrogate’s Christmas attractions this year.

Crews from Events by Cynosure were on Crescent Gardens this morning setting up the rink, which will open on Friday, December 2 and has been organised by Harrogate BID and Harrogate Borough Council‘s Destination Harrogate marketing team.

The rink will run until Tuesday, January 3, opening every day except Christmas Day, and will be accompanied by an après-ski bar.

It is part of a scheme of attractions around the town which will also see a carousel, a ferris wheel and the Candy Cane Express road train return after a successful first appearance last year. They will all run until January 8.

Harrogate Christmas Fayre, running from Friday, December 2 to Sunday, December 11, will have 50 stalls put up around the town centre featuring a range of traders, including local charities. Installation will begin on Monday, November 28 and the fayre will be open from 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays.

Meanwhile, the Christmas lights have been switched on across the town centre, with just over five weeks to go until Christmas Day.

For full information on the ice rink click here.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink opens for bookings
• York Ferris wheel coming to Harrogate for Christmas

A Ferris wheel previously situated in York is to be moved to the centre of Harrogate as part of the town’s Christmas activities, it was revealed last night.

The wheel, which has 24 gondolas, including one VIP and one for people with disabilities, was previously at St Sampson’s Square in York.

John McGivern, destination events manager at tourism body Destination Harrogate, told businesses the 32-metre high wheel was likely to be situated next to the war memorial.

Mr McGivern said Destination Harrogate, which is part of Harrogate Borough Council, was in discussions with the Royal British Legion over the location. The decision to situate a helter-skelter alongside the memorial upset some veterans at Christmas last year.

The wheel, an ice rink, a Christmas fayre, the Candy Cane Express road train and a carousel are among the highlights of Harrogate’s festive offering.

John McGivern at last night’s meeting.

Speaking at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting last night, Mr McGivern said the ambition was to “position Harrogate district as a first choice Christmas destination” and to attract high spending visitors on day trips and overnight breaks.

He said Destination Harrogate planned to distribute 20,000 printed guides with a map as part of its marketing campaign, which also includes media advertising, press and influencer visits and a dedicated Christmas webpage.

The installation of the ice rink at Crescent Gardens is due to start on Friday. The rink will open on December 2 and close on January 3 — five days before the other attractions.

Harrogate during Christmas last year.

The carousel will return.

Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which will have 50 stalls, will start to be installed on November 28 and be open from December 2 to 11.

It will be open from 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and from 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays.

Market Place Europe and Harrogate Borough Council, which jointly operate the Christmas fayre, will once again provide a stall for charities.

Artizan International, Carers Resource, Dementia Forward, Girlguiding North Yorkshire West, Harlow Hill Men’s Shed, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) Community Charity, Harrogate Easier Living Project (HELP), Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, Samaritans of Harrogate and District, and Ripon Walled Garden are all set to use the stall to either sell products they produce or use it to provide more information to visitors.

Read more:

• Guide to Christmas markets in the Harrogate district
• Bettys unveils Christmas cracker window display in Harrogate

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the controversial changes to Harrogate’s Christmas markets.

The organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market had 170 traders and 53 coaches booked to attend the annual event on Montpellier Hill in November when their plans were scuppered in July.

Harrogate Borough Council announced it had rejected the organisers’ event management plan because it “did not fully take into account the risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter-terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid”.

The council quickly revealed plans to stage an alternative event in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester. It later emerged the two organisations had been in talks since March.

The collaboration, which was extended to include Harrogate Business Improvement District, led to the creation of the first Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which took place in town centre streets from December 3 to 12.

Besides stalls, the fayre included a free road train called the Candy Cane Express, a carousel, helter skelter and ferris wheel.

The Candy Cane Express road train.

The town centre location and added attractions seemed to go down well, although some were disappointed with the lack of variety of stalls.

But it seems the event will return in 2022. Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, has spoken glowingly of it and of bringing it back next year.

Operations manager from Marketplace Europe, Andy Pidgen.

Andy Pidgen, operations manager at Market Place Europe, told the Stray Ferret:

“It went really well, the traders were very pleased. Some of the businesses I have spoken to said how good the event was for footfall. The council and Harrogate BID really liked it.

“We still need to have a debrief with both organisations in January but at the moment I would say I am feeling quite positive about next year.

“There are a few things I would like to tweak in terms of chalet locations but overall we would aim to make the Harrogate Christmas Fayre bigger and better in 2022.”

A separate artisan market was held in Valley Gardens on the first weekend of the fayre. Its success means the organisers, Little Bird Made, are now hoping to stage monthly artisan markets at the same venue.

Read more:

• Harrogate Christmas market cancelled
• Traders and visitors give thumbs-up to first Harrogate Christmas Fayre

What is yet to be seen is whether the council’s warm welcome would extend to the organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market, who hope to bring their event back next year.

Steve Scarre, the vice-chairman of the Harrogate Christmas Market.

Steve Scarre, vice-chairman of Harrogate Christmas Market, told the Stray Ferret that he will enter talks with the council and submit a new event management plan in January.

He said:

“We are planning to hold the Harrogate Christmas Market in the Montpellier Quarter next year.

“Every year there are new requirements that we have always tried to meet. We bend over backwards to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible.

“We have asked for a meeting with the council in January and plan to submit an event management plan then.

“From the very beginning we have said we have no issue with a separate event in the town centre.

“But our Harrogate Christmas Market works in the Montpellier Quarter. It is simply magical down there.”

Without the foresight of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, it seems difficult to predict at this stage how many markets Harrogate will get next Christmas.