An open-top bus will take visitors around Harrogate as part of the Christmas experience.
The sight-seeing bus is to be part of the town’s Christmas Fayre in December which has been extended this year to help draw in more visitors.
The bus will be provided by Transdev and is part of the York City Sightseeing tour fleet.
It will operate during the weekends in addition to the Candy Cane Express road train which has been introduced since the Christmas market moved into the centre of town.
The 15-minute trip will take shoppers around Harrogate -leaving every 20 minutes from Montpellier Hill, Crescent Gardens, Cheltenham Parade, the Bus Station and West Park. Tickets will cost £1 for adults- up to three children aged under 16 can travel for free with each paying adult.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for the visitor economy, councillor Derek Bastiman, said:
“The programme of festive events in Harrogate always attracts a lot of interest and sees people from across the region and beyond travel to the town to enjoy what is on offer which is a big driver for the local economy.
“The addition of the new open-top sightseeing bus will give visitors the chance to experience Harrogate in a new way, and it will hopefully help people explore even more of what is on offer.”
In April, it was announced that the Christmas Fayre would run for 17 days – a week longer than the previous two years to increase footfall in December.
The Harrogate Ice Rink, which made its debut in 2022, is also set to return from December 1 but there’ll be no big wheel this year.
Transdev commercial manager Matt Burley said:
“We’re delighted to be chosen as Harrogate’s leading bus operator to deliver this exciting open top bus tour of Harrogate as part of this year’s bigger and even better Harrogate Christmas Fayre.
“We’re teaming up with our colleagues at CitySightseeing York to take visitors and locals on an entertaining tour, hosted by one of our award-winning live guides – so what better way to discover the hidden gems of Harrogate than by wrapping up warm and joining us on the three weekends before Christmas.”
Matthew Chapman, the manager for Harrogate BID, which is supporting the Harrogate Christmas Fayre, said:
“Here at Harrogate BID we are yet again delighted to be supporting the Christmas offer in Harrogate to deliver another magnificent festive season for the town.
“From more than 100,000 festive lights to the unique additional animations, we can’t wait to welcome the thousands of visitors and residents alike to our great town. This time of the year is so important to local and national businesses, and we are proud to play a part in supporting this.”
Read More:
- Little Bird markets to light up Christmas across the Harrogate district
- Harrogate ice rink to return again this Christmas
Last chance to visit Harrogate’s ice rink and ferris wheel
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
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
Getting your home ready for Christmas? Check out these local businesses with the products you need
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and a time when many of us go all out to make our homes look spectacular.
Here in the Harrogate district, we’re lucky to have lots of independent businesses to help you add a festive touch to your home – whether it’s trees and decorations, the perfect Christmas scent, or those all important kitchen utensils to pull off cooking your Christmas dinner.
For your tree: Harrogate Christmas Tree Centre
After trading for more than 40 years, and as the leading retailer of cut Christmas trees in Harrogate, these guys really know their stuff.
With the widest selection of strong and low needle retention trees, Harrogate Christmas Tree Centre can offer you advice on how to keep your tree looking good until the New Year.
The company is also a member of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, and pride themselves on a high level of customer service.
For your decorations: Rudfarlington Farm
The Christmas Barn at Rudfarlington Farm is now selling top quality Christmas decorations, lighting, ornaments and gifts.
There are several ranges of themed decorations, plus all the extras you’ll need to turn your home into the perfect Christmas setting.
For that lovely Christmassy smell: Olivia Jade Candle Company
For a wonderful festive scent in your home, try the orange, cinnamon and cranberry candle from Olivia Jade Candle Company.
The fruity, floral combination gets more pronounced as the candle starts to burn, with great depth and roundness.
All Olivia Jade candles are handmade, vegan friendly, and cruelty free.
For cooking your Christmas dinner: Cooking Fantastic
Tucked away in Killinghall, Cooking Fantastic is a true hidden gem. With an extensive array of baking and cooking tools and essentials, you’ll find everything you need to cook up a brilliant Christmas dinner.
Don’t miss Christmas items from Yorkshire suppliers like the fabulous red table runner (pictured above with the roasting tins), or stocking fillers like the ‘knob grabbers’… for lifting the lid off a casserole dish!
Just so you know, all of the local businesses featured here were selected on their own merit, but some have paid to be featured in this article.
Stray Kitchen: Christmas Hacks the Stray Kitchen way
Stray Kitchen is our column all about food written by renowned local produce expert, food writer and chef, Stephanie Moon. Stephanie is a champion of food produced in the UK and particularly in Yorkshire and the Harrogate district.
I love, love, love this time of year, and the feeling of festive fun is really growing in tempo this Christmas…
So how do we make Christmas easy? This is a question I always get asked, and truthfully, I don’t think catering for a large group at Christmas is easy at all. But there are some ways we can make it as pain free as possible.
Mulled wine: Everyone has a mix they love, and for me it is a bottle of Malbec red wine, shot of brandy, shot of sloe gin, a clove studded orange, three cinnamon sticks, and three star anise, brought up to the boil with two glasses of lemonade and a glass of cranberry juice. Sweeten it up to taste, and for a real trick, pour it into a slow cooker so the mulled wine is warm and ready to go when your guests arrive.
Nibbles and dips: I love a quick homemade hummus. Boil two tins of chick peas with the aqua faba (chick pea juice inside the tin) until the juice evaporates. Add crushed garlic and tahini with some Ras El Halenout (spice mix), rapeseed oil, a splash of water and lemon zest and juice. For something to dip into the hummus, try my simple recipe for Harrogate blue cheese straws.
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Ingredients
- 1 packet of ready-to-roll puff pastry
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 eggs cracked and mixed into egg wash
Method
- Brush the egg wash over half of the pastry.
- Add 150g of grated Harrogate blue cheese and 2 teaspoons of finely dusted smoky paprika.
- Place the other half of the pastry on top and egg wash again.
- Cut into strips about 2cm thick and twirl to give that lovely shape.
- Pinch onto the tray to allow the straws to bake evenly and straight.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C, then cut whilst they cool.
Starters: Jazz up your prawn cocktail with some cooked lobster and a few slices of locally smoked salmon for a real treat. For the Marie Rose classic, try adding some finely chopped soft apricot pieces. Or, if you fancy a tropical alternative, why not add some fresh mango pieces and a light curry powder to your mayo.
Time to bring in the turkey! Steph is pictured here with London based chef Valentina Harris and her assistant Cher, at the Ideal Home exhibition.
Main: The turkey is the main event. Everyone cooks their’s differently and has their own favourite stuffing mix, but the gravy often gets left to last minute. Show your gravy some love this year and really glaze the turkey tray properly, removing the fat to get all that extra flavour into your gravy. To make a light roux, whisk this onto your flour and butter mix and cook out well with a good splash of red wine and stock; add a little redcurrant jelly for sweetness and hey presto, you’ve got a lovely turkey gravy.
Pudding: To flambe or not to flame, that is the question. If you do, make sure it is on a robust serving platter: one year I had a disaster at home, when the platter broke and flambe juices ran down the dinning table! Always warm the alcohol before pouring over the hot pudding, then set it on fire just before you enter the room… making sure decorations and long hair is well out of the way!
Have fun, and remember it is your Christmas to enjoy too!
Ho Ho Ho
Steph x