The much-loved York Christmas Market is back from next week – but, like last year, there will be no big Christmas lights switch-on.
A Christmas lights switch-on event hasn’t taken place since 2019, though that had been because of Covid concerns.
However, it didn’t return last year as celebrations for the 30th anniversary of St Nicholas Fair on were in place of a ‘traditional’ Christmas light switch-on.
For 2023, it will be a soft launch of the Christmas lights again, which will coincide with the start of the festive market.
The York Christmas Market will run from Thursday 16 November to Friday 22 December 2023.
There will be a couple of changes to the market this year.
Make It York managing director Sarah Loftus had told YorkMix: “We’ve listened to the feedback and people say it’s too crowded.”
For 2023, there will be no festive bar on Parliament Street. As well as its Principal Hotel Gardens location, Thor’s will also be at its new site of Museum Gardens this year.
The chalets will also be spread out further to give more space to those wandering around the market. There will be more than 75 alpine chalets on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, with a focus on products from Yorkshire.
Though there’s no official Christmas lights switch on event – the market won’t be short of entertainment on opening weekend. There will be choirs and bands performing to create “that real Christmassy feel“.
York Christmas Market opens on Thursday 16 November at 10am. It will run every day from 10am to 7pm.