Festive spirit will be flowing in Boroughbridge tonight as the town hosts its annual late-night shopping, Christmas tree lights switch-on and a visit from Santa.

The event, organised Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade, will see shops stay open until 8pm.

The night will begin with the official Christmas tree lights switch-on in Hall Square at 5.30pm, followed by carols from three school choirs — Boroughbridge Primary and High School and Roecliffe Primary.

Boroughbridge Lions will host Santa and his sleigh and there will be community stalls, children’s rides and a donkey and miniature horse.

Read more:

• New BBC series pays homage to intrepid Victorian explorer from Boroughbridge
• Time to sparkle: Your guide to Christmas lights switch-ons across the district

Festive food and drink will include the Scouts’ roast chestnuts and Brighter Boroughbridge’s mulled wine and mince pies stall. There will also be a hog roast.

The shop window display competition theme this year is A Christmas Panto, with entries to be judged tonight,

The lights on the Christmas tree will be switched on by BBC Radio York’s Georgey Spanswick and the Mayor, Sean Hynes.

Chamber president Derek Hufton said:

“Anyone coming along will find the town buzzing.

“There will be lots of great independent shops to browse and buy Christmas gifts from.

“Santa and his sleigh, along with the kids’ rides, will be big attractions to the younger generation. But wrap up warm!”

The festive season gets underway in Knaresborough this weekend with the Christmas Market and the launch of the Christmas Tree Festival.

Centred around the large Christmas tree in the town’s historic Market Place, the two-day shopping event, on Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, will feature almost 60 stalls selling seasonal goods, decorations, cards, gifts and locally-sourced produce.

Hot roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and performances by local dancers, brass bands and choirs promise to add to the festive atmosphere.

Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce committee member Charlotte Gale said:

“We have a fantastic range of local independent shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants in town, not just in the market square, but on the surrounding streets and High Street.

“We hope that visitors to the market will also take the time to explore everything which Knaresborough has to offer. There is even a book signing at Castlegate Books with best selling local crime author Wes Markin from noon on Saturday.

“Knaresborough’s businesses always make such an effort to decorate their windows for Christmas, which gives a wonderful festive feeling in town on the market weekend.

“There are lots of events happening around the town too, including a shopping event at Knaresborough train station and the start of the stunning Christmas Tree Festival at St John’s Church, which features beautifully decorated trees from local businesses and organisations.”

The Christmas Market is organised by volunteers from Knaresborough Rotary, Knaresborough Chamber and Knaresborough Lions.

Free park and ride

The centre of Knaresborough will be largely pedestrianised for the event, but a free park and ride is available all weekend from the GSPK car park (postcode HG5 8LF) on Manse Lane to Chapel Street, close to the Market Square.

The weekend will close at 4.30pm on Sunday, December 4 with a firework finale, set against the dramatic backdrop of Knaresborough’s famous viaduct and the Nidd Gorge. This is best seen from any viewpoint which overlooks the river area.

Market chair Hazel Haas, of Knaresborough Rotary, said:

“We are keen that this year’s market benefits the town as a whole.

“Members of our volunteer committee have been liaising with other local organisations and businesses to ensure that we are promoting the full range of festive events taking place in Knaresborough over the market weekend, including the popular Christmas Tree Festival at St John’s Church.”

The Christmas Tree Festival at St John’s will run from Saturday December 3 until December 23.

Every year more than 70 Christmas trees decorated by local groups and businesses are displayed in the church on Vicarage Lane.

Read more:

• Guide to Christmas fairs and markets in the Harrogate district
• Time to sparkle: Your guide to Christmas lights switch-ons across the district

Admission is free, but there will be the opportunity to donate to the church and the event’s chosen charity for this year.

For more information on Knaresborough Christmas Market, including travel information, entertainment timings and events taking place throughout the town, click here.

Meanwhile, Harrogate’s Christmas Fayre kicked off today and tonight (Friday) sees the return of late night shopping in Pateley Bridge and Bewerley for the first time since 2019.

Shops will stay open until about 7.30pm to offer festive treats and community groups will operate stalls along the High Street.

Harrogate’s Christmas Fayre got underway today and next week sees Boroughbridge’s late night shopping and Christmas lights switch-on event on Wednesday (December 7).

This story is sponsored by the Country Living Harrogate Christmas Fair.

Many of us are already in full swing with our Christmas shopping and the challenge is well and truly on to find those extra special gifts.

The Country Living Harrogate Christmas Fair, which returns for its tenth year next week, is the perfect place to find that special something.

The four-day event, on December 1-4, will feature more than 200 small UK independent producers, crafters, and artisan retailers under one roof at the Convention Centre.

There will be a host of unique gifts that can’t be found on the high street.

From handcrafted products, stylish decors, soft furnishings to gourmet cheese, Christmas puddings, sweet and savoury treats, tasty tipples and fine wines, visitors can shop to their hearts’ content while soaking in the festive vibes with live music throughout the day from the Fair’s brass band and choirs.

Fiona Fawcett, from Yorkshire brand Plewsy.

Shoppers can opt for a special VIP experience, including bottomless prosecco and gift bags worth more than £100.

Over the four-days, around 15,000 people are expected to attend the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Dan Sewell, the event director for Country Living’s Christmas Fair, said:

“It shows there’s a really strong appetite for this special tenth anniversary year, with so many new exhibitors bringing fresh, exciting ideas alongside the traditional, festive favourites who return year-on-year.”

The Christmas Fair will be a foodie’s delight

The Country Living Kitchen Theatre will see some of the country’s finest food and drink producers and culinary experts whip up their ultimate festive recipes and seasonal showstoppers.

Demonstrations offer the chance to ask for tips, interact with the experts, and even try a taster or two.

Stephanie Moon will deliver a workshop on ‘Christmas Canapes to Impress with Rudding Park’. Harrogate’s Three’s A Crowd will also be on hand with ‘A Christmas Tipple’, with some unique festive cocktails.

The artisan foodie brand Charlie & Ivy’s will also be on hand to demonstrate how to create simple party food for the festive season.

Visitors can expect tailored chocolate tasting sessions, as well as hands-on workshops from crafting experts where they can create needle felted baubles to unique Christmas table decorations to take home.

Christmas canapes by Charlie and Ivy’s.

Country Living’s Harrogate Christmas Fair promises gifts you can’t find on the high street, while supporting and championing the country’s independent businesses.

Shoppers can also enjoy a Champagne Bar, cocktails or an Afternoon Tea dining experience.

The Stray Ferret is working with Country Living to giveaway two VIP tickets worth £150 and to offer our readers a special two for one ticket offer.

Country Living Christmas Fair will take place on December 1-4, 2022.

Join the mailing list here to be the first to know about Country Living’s Events.

Santa’s Chief Elf Tinsel is inviting good boys and girls from across the Harrogate district to become a fellow elf in this year’s Christmas show.

Tinsel, from Enchantica’s, is set to delight children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at a very magical Elf Village at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel.

And this year Tinsel, aka Suzanne Kaye-Vaughan, is inviting people to nominate local children to make guest elf appearances.

Ms Kaye-Vaughan was inspired to offer the VIP roles after her son Dante asked if he could wear an elf uniform and help her with last year’s show at  The Crown Hotel.

She said:

“It was the highlight of my year having him enjoy sharing the magic too and seeing him shine bright performing alongside us.

“This year I would like to give that opportunity to some other local children too and we are accepting nominations to fill a handful of these guest elf appearance roles.

“The children will get to come and wear an elf costume and help with the elf songs.”

Keeping the magic alive

Ms Kaye-Vaughan, who is well-known in Harrogate for spreading the magic with her business Enchantica’s, said after chatting with some families, she realised there were concerns that children might recognise her as ‘Suzie’, rather than Tinsel.

She said:

“I know that a few do have a little fear that because they know me locally as ‘Suzie’ that their children will not believe that I actually work for Father Christmas.

“I just reassure them that it’s my real job and that I work regionally in the Harrogate area.

“When I explain that it’s on my CV and how lucky I feel to have the role as chief elf in Harrogate helping Father Christmas get ready for the big day and working on a big elf training project, they too realise that my elf role is the real deal.

“Not all elves live at the North Pole. Some, like me, are lucky to live in other beautiful places in the world like Harrogate – and we work remotely.

“We actually love it when we see families that we know visiting us year-after-year. That’s one of the main reasons we keep adding to the magic each year so that every visit is super special and filled with even more enchantment than the last.”

Read More:

• The woman behind Harrogate’s Tinsel the elf
• Seven places to see Santa across the Harrogate district this Christmas

And it is “keeping the magic alive”, that Ms Kaye-Vaughan stresses is so important at Christmas time.

Dreamweavers

Explaining how she does this with her five-year-old son, she said:

“Dante has asked ‘mummy when you work are you going to the North Pole?’, and I tell him I just work remotely with the elves in the Harrogate area.

“I think we have a great responsibility as adults to keep activating the magic. By being a dreamweaver at home and adding to the magic, there is nothing greater than seeing the joy on a little one’s face. That is what we want to bottle.

“By having traditions it activates magic and reminds us of that joyful feeling. It doesn’t matter what age we are, we know Christmas is coming, we are going to have the quality time together and it sparks that joy we remember from our childhood and that magic then lasts for generations to come.”

Tinsel and Father Christmas.

Traditions

Ms Kaye-Vaughan said research has proven that families who have traditions that are filled with joy, the next generation carry them on and build on them.

She said:

“When I think about what our tradition is, it really is that we make Christmas magic.

“When we’ve been doing the elf jobs this week, I save certain ones for when Dante is not in school because he absolutely loves them.

“We look at what is on the list and what Father Christmas has asked for and we are genuinely helping Father Christmas to make more magic to share with families.

“By doing this, it certainly does make a lot of magic for ourselves. It’s the gift of Christmas sharing magic with others and we talk about how special and important that is.”

If you would like to nominate a child to be an elf in this year’s Christmas show, send an email with your child’s name, age and reason why they should be Tinsel’s helper to events@enchanticas.co.uk before November 11.

To book tickets for the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience at the Cedar Court Hotel, click here

The experience is supported by Harrogate BID.

It feels like it creeps up on us earlier every year. Yes folks, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: it’s time to book your Santa visit.

Attractions across the Harrogate district have already started to release tickets.

And while Christmas might still be three months away, it’s advisable to act fast if you want to secure an audience with Mr Claus.

I’ve had the pleasure of taking my boys to meet him a few times over the years at various locations in the area.

Each experience has been excellent and we are definitely spoilt for choice. Santa is clearly a big fan of the Harrogate district.

To help you get organised, here are seven places to see Santa this year:

The Harrogate Father Christmas Experience – Cedar Court Hotel

It’s back and it has been hailed as “bigger and better than ever”.

Last year Father Christmas’s Chief Elf Tinsel, from Enchantica’s, delighted children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at The Crown Hotel.

This Christmas you can join Santa, Tinsel and all of the Elves at a very magical Elf Village at the Cedar Court Hotel.

And those who are on the good elf list can book places to enjoy two shows this year:

• Elf Training Show – an immersive sing-along elf training experience for the whole family to enjoy.
  Or
• New for 2022 – Code Breakers Christmas show – for ages seven plus to adult – an escape room style family show wrapped up with magic, illusion and festive code breaking challenges to help save Christmas.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 27 and you can be among the first to get them by signing up to the mailing list here.

November 26 – December 24. Check here for show dates, times and availability.

Christmas at Mother Shipton’s, Knaresborough

Wander through the winter woodland to see the enchanted Christmas Village, festooned with festive delights and merry displays.

Chief Elf Chestnut will meet little visitors and lead them to see Santa Claus in his cosy Christmas grotto.

Children will be presented with a pack of festive activities and will also be able to listen to tales from Holly Berry, make reindeer food and post a letter to Santa at the North Pole Post Office.

November 26 – December 24. Click here to buy tickets. 

The Magical Christmas Experience – Birchfield Farm, Summerbridge

This hugely popular experience is making a welcome return following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Meet Mother Christmas in her sitting room to check in and collect your sleigh ride tickets.

Then head to the sleigh pick up point to be greeted by Buddy the Elf, who will help you board Santa’s sleigh for your magical sleigh ride .

You will arrive at father’s Christmas woodland grotto where you can sit by the fire and tell him your Christmas wishes.

November 26 – December 23. Click here to buy tickets.

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.