Harrogate Christmas Market: Details revealed for new-look Christmas Market festivities

The location of a new Christmas market and other festivities coming to Harrogate have been revealed.

Harrogate Borough Council has announced that subject to the approval of an event management plan, the market will be held on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent between December 3 and 12.

It will feature around 50 traders – and there will also be a Ferris wheel, other fairground rides and a road train at unnamed locations in the town between 15 November and the first week of January.

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Another festive market will also be held in Valley Gardens on 4 and 5 December with around 60 traders.

Harrogate Christmas MarketHarrogate Christmas Market
Harrogate Christmas Market

Gemma Rio, head of destination management at the council, said: “We have been working hard to ensure festivities return this year in order to drive visitors to our district’s shops, restaurants, visitor attractions, hotels and B&Bs.

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“The enhanced offering in Harrogate town centre, together with a vast array of festive events taking place right across the district, means Harrogate is an absolutely unmissable destination or a festive day trip or weekend away.

The announcements come after the organisers of Harrogate’s previous Christmas market on Montpellier Hill were refused a licence to make a return this year.

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After last year’s festivities were cancelled due to Covid, the council said the event had “outgrown” the location and that an event management plan “did not fully take into account” the risk of overcrowding, evacuation procedures and Covid.

Organiser Brian Dunsby, who along with colleagues ran the event for eight years, said he was “extremely saddened” by the decision and accused the council of bringing its “own agenda” into the discussions.

Mr Dunsby has since vowed to bring back the event for “2022 and/or 2023”.