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An ice rink and a big wheel are set to come to Harrogate as part of this year’s Christmas festivities in the town.
Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe and John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, told Harrogate BID members last night about how Christmas will look in the town this year.
A “winter wonderland” will be created in Crescent Gardens, which will include the ice rink, apres ski, carousel and children’s rides.
Mr Rhodes said an expanded Christmas market will run from December 2 to December 11 with stalls on Cambridge Street, as well as “probably” Oxford Street and Cambridge Crescent.
Last year was the first event run together by the two organisations. Mr McGivern acknowledged there were some “teething problems” but said staff were working hard to make it bigger and better this year.
He said 90% of stallholders from last year have said they would like to return.
Mr McGivern said there was some feedback from last year about a lack of atmosphere but that covid hampered what they were able to offer.
He said this year will have more of a Christmas feel with the addition of carol singers, among other plans.
The popular Candy Cane Express road train will be back, but there will be two trains this year instead of one due to high demand.
The location is yet to be confirmed, but a 32m big wheel is likely to be placed at Harrogate’s war memorial where the helter skelter was last year.
The big wheel, ice rink, carousel and rides will be in place until January 8.
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Harrogate’s Christmas Fayre starts today: here’s the lowdown
Harrogate Christmas Fayre begins today. With plenty of stallholders to buy gifts from, attractions to enjoy and festivities to embrace, it looks like being a memorable few days.
Market Place Europe is running the event in conjunction with Harrogate Borough Council from today until December 12.
It is a new venture so there are lots to look out for. The event will be spread out over more locations and days than the previous Harrogate Christmas Market, which took place on Montpellier Hill.
Here is everything you need to know:
Where will the stalls be?
There will be about 50 local and European stallholders on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.
For this weekend only there will also be stalls in Valley Gardens, where more than 60 local traders will sell a variety of festive arts and crafts plus food and drink at a separate artisan Christmas market.
When will the fayre be open?
It will be open between 10am and 7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am and 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday.
Little Bird Made’s Artisan Festive Market in Valley Gardens will be open from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5.
Do you have to wear a face mask?
Harrogate Borough Council has advised visitors to wear face masks around the fayre and on the free Candy Cane Express road train, which will shuttle people around town.
A map of the Christmas road train.
The government brought in new rules this week stipulating people must wear face coverings in shops, shopping centres, transport hubs and on public transport.
Children under 11 and those with a health condition or disability which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt.
What will the weather be like?
According to the Met Office, outbreaks of rains and drizzle will clear in the morning to leave a largely dry day. It will be cloudy at first with some brighter spells in the afternoon.
Temperatures are set to increase tomorrow but it is not set to stay mild for long.
From then we are set for a chilly weekend with some sunny spells and showers. It will be occasionally windy with some rain and snow possible on Monday morning.
Will there be rides and transport?
A free road train will take visitors around Harrogate from today as part of the Harrogate Christmas Fayre.
The Candy Cane Express will stop at James Street, St Mary’s Walk and Crescent Road. It will also pass Montpellier Hill, Cheltenham Parade, Station Parade and Victoria Avenue.
Not only that but there are also festive rides, including a carousel and ferris wheels at Crescent Garden and a helter skelter at the war memorial. All of those rides cost £3 for a ticket.
The Helter Skelter next to the war memorial in Harrogate town centre.
Free parking at Harrogate multi-storey
Parking will be free after 3pm in Harrogate’s Victoria multi-storey car park on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The initiative will last until December 23 and will be paid for by Harrogate Business Improvement District to encourage Christmas shoppers and revellers into the town midweek.
Record £25,000 raised at Ripon Cathedral’s Christmas FairA record £25,000 was raised at Ripon Cathedral’s Christmas Gift and Food Fair, as 2,500 visitors braved Storm Arwen to attend the two-day event.
Proceeds from the fair (pictured above), held last Friday and Saturday, exceeded pre-pandemic levels and will help fund the cathedral’s development plans for the future.
As a covid safety measure, pre-bookable time slots were made available online.
Visitors, who came from Yorkshire and further afield, enjoyed a festive atmosphere, with 100 stalls selling seasonal gifts and food.
Aysgarth School Choir, The Yorkshire Decibelles, Knot Another Choir and Emily and Adrian Roberts were among those providing entertainment.
The pop-up cafe’s offerings included hot turkey sandwiches and homemade cakes, along with tea, coffee and mulled wine, all served by cathedral volunteers. Children’s craft activities, a chocolate tombola and a raffle were also available.
The cathedral’s development campaign manager, Margaret Hammond, said:
“The fair marks the start of the Christmas celebrations for the local community. It was wonderful to see so many people back enjoying the spectacular setting of Ripon Cathedral.
“There are so many individuals to thank for helping to make this year’s Christmas Fair such a truly special event: Freda Bottomley, one of our volunteers, along with Dean John and his team of clergy, raised a record £1,600 selling raffle tickets; 70 volunteers manned the door, served refreshments and baked wonderful Christmas Cakes which were sold on the fundraising stall.
“Ripon businesses including Morrisons supermarket provided raffle prizes and provided the mince pies. Soldiers from Claro Barracks helped set up the event and everyone worked incredibly hard and helped in so many different ways to make sure it was a huge success.
“The event completely relies on the generosity of volunteers giving up their time to help raise funds.”
A free road train will take visitors around Harrogate from Friday, just in time for the two town centre Christmas markets.
The Candy Cane Express will stop at James Street, St Mary’s Walk and Crescent Road. It will also pass Montpellier Hill, Cheltenham Parade, Station Parade and Victoria Avenue.
Face masks are advised on the road train, which will operate from December 3 to 12. Face masks are also advised around both markets.
The train route will take in the sights of the Christmas lights, Christmas shop window displays, Christmas rides and Santa’s postbox.
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It’s all part of the council’s drive to get people into the town centre to support the new fayre and the artisan market in Valley Gardens, which will also stimulate high street businesses.
Excitement has been building since the Christmas rides started in the town centre last month. This week stalls for the Christmas fayre appeared in the town centre.
A map of the Christmas road train.
When are the town centre Christmas markets?
Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which the council is running in partnership with Market Place Europe, will be open between 10am and 7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am and 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday.
The market will take place on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent and will provide gifts and mouth-watering treats for people to enjoy as they wander around, taking in the sights and sounds.
Around 50 traders will take part in the fayre.
In addition, Little Bird Made is set to hold a festive artisan market in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens this Saturday and Sunday, with times to be confirmed.
The artisan market will feature approximately 60 local and regional traders and producers who will sell a variety of festive arts and crafts, clothing, homeware, jewellery, as well as food and drink.
Huge crowd attends Ripon’s Christmas lights switch onA huge crowd filled Ripon Market Square this evening for the switch on of the city’s Christmas lights.
Thousands of people of all ages, from children in pushchairs to grandparents, got into an early festive swing, with tribute acts and Ripon’s own singer-songwriter Freddie Cleary, providing musical entertainment, alongside free fairground rides.
The cabmen’s shelter on Market Place East was transformed into a grotto, which was busy all afternoon and into the evening, with children queuing to let Santa know the presents they hope he will deliver to their houses on Christmas Eve.
For five-year-old Josephine and her three-year-old brother Noah (pictured) the gifts they wish for are Elsa’s Castle from the Disney film Frozen and a dinosaur toy.
While Santa was busy all afternoon, his reindeer also attracted a great deal of attention.
As well as the real reindeer present, Ripon now has a light-up variety, along with sleigh, as part of its festive decorations
The Christmas lights were switched on by the the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin, with Santa on stage to lend a hand.
After the switch on, the musical entertainment continued, with a tribute act (pictured below) signing the chart-topping hits of girl bands.
They were followed by a Beatles Tribute act, who provided a fab-four finale to the day’s festive fun.
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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Ripon was given an insight into the festivities associated with Dawali at a special event in the city’s library this week.
The five-day Festival of Lights, whose principal day is today, is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world.
Its focus is on new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.
Sarita McDermott, who owns Realitea, the Indian tea room and bistro on North Street, organised the event at the library with outreach librarian Claire Thompson.
She told the audience:
“Diwali is like Christmas in this country. People put on their best clothes, enjoy some lovely food, music and dancing.
“I wanted to show friends and other people in Ripon, the peaceful joy that this festival brings.”
Sarita McDermott leads the dancing.
Among those joining in the celebrations was a team of dancers from Jennyruth Workshops who wore traditional Indian dress.
They had been practicing for a month prior to their performance, which included dancing to music from the Punjab and the Gujarat region as well as Bollywood-style dance.
Following the display, there was an opportunity for the performers and members of the audience to enjoy some authentic Dawali dishes and treats.
Ms Thompson said:
“We had planned to stage an event of this nature for some time and I’m delighted that it has now happened and gone so well.”
Pictured: Claire Thompson (left) and Sarita McDermott, with Jennyruth dancers (from left) Matthew, Bethany and Ben Evason and Martin Grainger
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Lights appeal will ensure that Pateley sparkles
Pateley Bridge may have lost its Christmas late night shopping event this year but the town has rallied round to ensure it will sparkle during the festive season.
The Mayor of Pateley Bridge, Councillor Mike Holt, was keen to highlight the efforts that have been made and to point out that Christmas in the town has not been cancelled.
Cllr Holt told the Stray Ferret:
“While the town council, along with traders is disappointed that the coronavirus crisis means we can’t hold the late night shopping event in December, Pateley Bridge will not be missing out on the festivities.”
He said the town had been forced to take a “longer-term view” because of the social distancing requirements caused by the coronavirus crisis. But organisations had pulled together. He added:
“Pateley Bridge High Street – which will have enhanced Christmas decorations – is alive and kicking, with new openings this year.
“A collective effort has seen the town council working alongside Nidderdale Chamber of Trade, Harrogate Borough Council and the local community and we will be in a better position than many other places.”
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Cllr Holt added:
“Christmas markets in Harrogate and Knaresborough have been cancelled because of restrictions on large-scale gatherings and earlier this year the highly-popular scarecrow trails across Nidderdale also had to be called off, for the same reason.”
The Mayor of Pateley Bridge Councillor Mike Holt
HBC will be providing two large Christmas trees and a successful Christmas lights appeal led by the Chandler family, who own the Spar Shop and the bakers Yorkshire Born & Bread, along with the owners of Dales Market Corner and and Park View Stores, has raised thousands of pounds.
The money will be used to maintain and improve the lights in the town.
In previous years the purchase, maintenance, erection and storage of the Christmas lights and displays, and the two large Christmas trees for the town, has been funded by HBC and Pateley Bridge Town Council, but financial cutbacks have meant that greater emphasis has been put on fundraising among local retailers and residents.
Cllr Holt said:
“The fact that we have been able to raise enough money to improve the lights this difficult, lockdown year speaks volumes for the people of Pateley Bridge.”