Spring may only have just sprung, but the Destination Harrogate team is already planning for the festive season with another exciting Destination Christmas campaign, following the success of the 2021 event.
With a Christmas market expected to take place from Friday 2nd December to Sunday 11th December, festive stallholders can look forward to tempting Christmas shoppers with locally produced food and crafts in a fully festive atmosphere.
The Candy Cane Express is set to be pulling into Harrogate once again, transporting visitors around the town for hop-on-and-off Christmas shopping and to enjoy the festive lights. Traditional fairground attractions will also be on offer, encouraging visitors to discover more of Harrogate’s centre in all its seasonal splendour and to explore the town further.
Gemma Rio, Head of Destination Harrogate, said: “We are thrilled to be announcing the return of Destination Christmas which last year not only brought our community together at a special time of year after the challenges of the pandemic but encouraged more visitors into our district for overnight stays at a crucial time of year for our businesses.
“Together with our partners we are looking forward with excitement and aspiration to building on the success of last year’s event. Through the market we provided a great platform to grow our offer of an engaging outdoor Christmas retail experience, and this together with the fantastic festive entertainment we are offering is set to showcase the Harrogate district as the perfect destination for Christmas.”
During the first Destination Christmas campaign, the borough council asked a number of town centre businesses to share their feedback on the market; 68 per cent believed that having a Christmas market is beneficial to Harrogate town centre and 94 per cent seeing a positive or neutral impact on footfall.
Matthew Chapman, Harrogate Business Improvement District manager, said: “We are excited to once again play our part in delivering another festive offering to Harrogate town centre.
“It might only be April but we’re already working with our partners, such as the borough council, to ensure this year’s efforts once again act as a magnet for families, shoppers and revellers alike.”
Little Bird Made, a well-established curator of artisan markets across North Yorkshire with an ethos of shopping local and supporting small businesses, will once again return to Valley Gardens.
Attracting more than 53,000 people last Christmas, the artisan market will have around 60 local traders and producers selling a variety of festive arts and crafts, clothing, homeware, jewellery, as well as locally produced food and drink.
Jackie Crozier, managing director of Little Bird Made, said: “The first festive Little Bird Made in Valley Gardens was a great success and has now led to a regular artisan market once a month.
“Our markets showcase some of Yorkshire’s finest small businesses and are a great opportunity to shop locally. We’re delighted that we can once again return for the festive period, and we are always looking for new traders to join our growing portfolio of markets. So anyone looking for a stall should get in touch.”
Further news on Destination Christmas 2022 will be announced soon, with information on how to get involved in the campaign and partnership opportunities to follow this summer.