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.
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Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink opens for bookings
Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink has opened for bookings.
The rink, at Crescent Gardens, will be open every day except Christmas Day from December 1 to January 2.
One-hour sessions can be booked throughout each day, with the final session at 8pm. A website has been set up for bookings.
Tickets cost £14 for adults and £13 for children aged five to 16. Family tickets costing £37.50, £50 and £62.50 are available.
Parent and toddler sessions and relaxed sessions, catering for parents and carers and children with additional support needs, are also on offer.
The ice rink is among the highlights of this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which will also include a Ferris wheel, carousel and other fairground rides, Candy Cane Express road train, town centre stalls and an artisan market in Valley Gardens.
The fayre is a joint venture between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Market Place Europe, which took over the town’s seasonal activities last year after the council refused to grant a licence to Harrogate Christmas Market, a locally-run organisation behind the previous event on Montpellier Hill.
The bookings website says:
“Harrogate ice rink is magical for all ages, great for families, date nights, catch ups with pals, Christmas parties with a twist, skaters, non-skaters, those who want to learn to skate at our skate school or just enjoy one of the most fascinating spectator sports with a drink and bite to eat.”
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Ice rink will be part of ‘bigger and better’ Harrogate Christmas
Harrogate Christmas Fayre will be “bigger and better” than last year’s, organisers said today.
Destination Harrogate, which is part of Harrogate Borough Council, today revealed further details of the fayre, which will run from December 2 to 11.
Last year’s activities marked a major departure from the town’s previous seasonal offering, with the longstanding, locally-run Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill replaced by a town centre offering by the council in conjunction with Market Place Europe, a company that specialises in organising markets.
This year’s festivities will include:
- An outdoor ice skating rink, with an après ski bar offering seasonal treats and refreshments and a giant 32m Ferris wheel offering spectacular views of the surrounding area.
- A carousel, plus other children’s fairground rides, in Crescent Gardens, provided by Events By Cynosure and supported by Harrogate Borough Council’s parks and environmental services team.
- Town centre stalls selling Christmas gifts, decorations and food.
- The return of the Candy Cane Express, a road train transporting people around Harrogate town centre while the market is on. The train is co-funded by Harrogate BID.
- An artisan market run by Little Bird Made in Valley Gardens on the first two weekends in December.
The Candy Cane Express will return.
John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, said:
“We’re building on the success of last year and through working in collaboration with our partners, including Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate BID, we can look forward to delivering something really special this Christmas.”
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Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“Once again, Christmas will be coming to Harrogate town centre and I for one can’t wait. Last year’s offer was a great success but I know this year’s will be even bigger and better.”
Cllr Cooper added the ice skating rink “not only offers an exciting opportunity for people of all ages to socialise but also encourages physical activity, in a magical environment”.
Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe, said:
“Harrogate is a beautiful and unique destination and the perfect place to enjoy our fantastic Christmas market. We’re really excited to be returning this year with an even bigger Harrogate Christmas Fayre.”
‘Winter wonderland’ plans to boost Harrogate this Christmas
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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