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The hugely popular Beverley Festival of Christmas, in East Yorkshire, has grown from a small market to one of the largest festive celebrations in England. Held on 10 December from 10am to 4pm, join in the festivities.
Beverley Festival of Christmas
Staged each year since 1995 around the town centre of the medieval Minster town of Beverley, at its heart will be three traditional Victorian Christmas Markets selling everything from festive food and drink to arts and crafts. The historic market town with its two markets, wonderful Beverley Minster and great pubs, is the perfect setting for the traditional Victorian fairground, while the streets come alive with live music, dancing, street performers in Victorian garb, and needless to say Santa, Rudolph and friends in the Christmas Parade.
Read more about things you can do in Beverley in Beverley Minster and a Tale of Two Markets, or in neighbouring Hull in Hull: a Surprising City of Culture.
From humble origins, over the past 25 years the Beverley Festival of Christmas has grown considerably in size with 120 stalls on show.
Carol singers, hot roast chestnuts, mulled wine and mince pies complete the picture-perfect Christmas scene. More festivities will also take place at Flemingate Shopping Centre. Live music will include brass bands and pipe bads.
Stallholders will be arranged around both of the town’s two markets – Wednesday and Saturday, as well as the North Bar and Butterdings. A list of the 120 stallholders can be viewed here.
Beverley Festival of Christmas 2023 Activities
North Bar from 10am – 4pm
Pop into 17th Century The Beverley Arms for a relaxing drink or bite to eat. Enjoy the Victorian Christmas market, get hands-on experience of Birds of Prey in Coronation Gardens, enjoy live music including carols at St Mary’s Church.
Wednesday Market from 10am – 4pm
The official starting place for the festival, this is where Santa and his reindeers depart on their parade from 10am. You can also enjoy the Victorian Christmas market, shops, bars and restaurants.
Saturday Market from 10am – 4pm
This is where the main Victorian Christmas market is located, with Victorian fairground rides, brass bands and pipe bands. Santa and his reindeers will be passing through on their parade, or you can enjoy face paining, shopping or the local restaurants and pubs.
There will also be carol singing with mince pies and mulled wine at St Mary’s Church at 10am, 11am, 2pm and 3pm.
Flemingate will have an ice skating rink from 10am to 4pm, as well as a Nordic tipi bar, Sentinel Squad Star Wars characters, and alpacas. While there is live music at Toll Gavel United Church – Beverley Singers from 11am to 11:30am; Humberside Police Band 11:45am to 12:30pm; Toll Gavel Church Musicians 12:45pm to 1:45pm; and the Beverley Male Voice Choir 2pm to 3pm.
Both The Guildhall and Treasure House will be open to the public on the day. The Christmas Tree Festival will run from 1 to 10 December (£5)
If you are planning on visiting the UK then consider reading our Essential Travel Guide to UK Holidays for the Over 40s?
Made in East Yorkshire Christmas Market
Additionally Made in East Yorkshire Christmas Market will add some extra seasonal sparkle from 6 to 8 December 2023 from 10am to 4pm, combined with late night shopping within Beverley.
Other Christmas Markets in East Yorkshire
For a full list of Christmas Markets in East Yorkshire, click here.
Beverley
Beverley is a wonderful town located close to Hull, with a rich history from medieval times, as well as outstanding Georgian architecture, two wonderful churches, a Wednesday and Saturday market and some of the oldest pubs in the region. For more ideas of cultural activities and events in Beverley outside of the Christmas Market, read here. One thing for sure, there are plenty of activities to keep you thoroughly entertained on your visit to Beverley.
Getting to Beverley
Bus
There are buses from Hull, Driffield, Bridlington, Hornsea, Market Weighton, Pocklington, and York to Beverley Bus Station.
Park and Ride
There is a Park and Ride at Beverley Racecourse, with a capacity for 500 cars, and buses running into town every 10 minutes or so.
Train
Trains run to Beverley Train Station, a five-minute walk to town centre. Details can be found here.
