Christmas is on the horizon, and with it comes the season for artisans, hobbyists, craftsmen and farmers to peddle their wares for a place under the tree. Christmas shopping can be some of the most exciting retail therapy of the year - but it can also be pretty stressful! If you’re having trouble finding the perfect gift, or the perfect market to find the perfect gift, or even if you just want a nice day out, we’ve compiled the guide for you. Here are 9 of our hand-picked suggestions for the top North West Christmas markets this year.
1. Manchester Christmas markets
Location: Manchester City Centre, Manchester
Dates: 8th November - 22nd December
Opening Times: 10am - 8 & 9pm
Number of Vendors: 200+
Manchester is known for many things: premier league football, one of the best tram networks in the world, and its Christmas markets. Celebrate this city-wide Christmas bash by picking up the perfect secret Santa gift, some artisan cheese for the family, or good ol’ trinket that you just can’t leave behind. Over 200 vendors are spread over 9 locations for this one, so you’ll have your work cut out for you if you want to find them all. It’ll be worth it when you finally find the perfect gift, however! Manchester’s markets have a wide selection of wares to choose from, and are proud to present everything from cheese and produce to handmade candles and woollen jumpers.
That’s not all, however - Manchester knows how to throw a party! Test your skill at skating on the covered ice rink at Cathedral Gardens, taste test pancakes and churros at Piccadilly Gardens and sip on cherry glühwein at St Ann’s Square. You’ll have to come back for several days in a row to try everything - and we suggest doing so!
2. Liverpool Christmas market
Location: St George’s Plateau & William Brown Street, Liverpool
Dates: 6th November - 24th December
Opening Times: 11am - 10pm
Number of Vendors: 40+
For a cup of cocoa and a dash of Christmas magic, drive over to the Liverpool Christmas Market where St George’s Plateau is being lit up by a horseshoe of vendors for the festive season. Satisfy your inner child with a vintage carousel ride or a slip ‘n’ slide experience on the snow slide, or take your actual child to see Father Christmas at Santa Land. Engage with the party spirit in a karaoke ski lift (it’s exactly what it sounds like!) or sit down at a bar to warm yourself up with a drink.
We can’t overlook the purpose of a market, however - from hand-crafted leather journals to jewellery, woolwear, ornaments, art, spirits (not the spooky kind) and hand-painted gifts, Liverpool’s vendors have a lot to offer to Christmas shoppers. While Liverpool doesn’t have quite as many vendors as some of the other markets on this list, it’s still a solid choice for those thoughtful gifts you just can’t find anywhere else.
3. Chester Christmas market
Location: Northgate Street, Chester
Dates: 15th November - 22nd December
Opening Times: 10:30am - 6:30 or 8pm
Number of Vendors: 70
Flick on the lights and get ready to shop at the Chester Christmas Market, where 70 vendors have set up stalls underneath the city’s seasonal light display. Strung between the antique lamp posts of Northgate Street, the Christmas lights illuminate a pleasant outdoor party, which is notably more relaxed than the rush of Liverpool’s bash.
From chocolate vendors to tipple stands, the festive feast will keep you going throughout the day while you browse for wares at small business stalls like Sahi and Tiger Mountain. Spend an evening shopping for the perfect gift, or sample the Christmas spirit by taking the kids to see a snowy pantomime on the stage.
4. Carlisle Christmas market
Location: Carlisle City Centre, Carlisle
Dates: 1st December - 17th December
Opening Times: 10am - 5pm, 6pm and 8pm
Number of Vendors: 40
One of the best Christmas markets of the North West occurs at the very edge of the region, where ‘North’ is just about to become ‘Scotland’. Carlisle is known for being pretty remote compared to the other celebrations on this list - and that’s why it’s such a novelty to visit their market! With its stalls hosted in Alpine-style chalets, there's a distinct ‘wintery’ feel to the air in England’s most northerly city this year. Take a stroll through the city centre to discover stalls selling arts, crafts, stocking fillers and festive ornaments, all lit up by the sparkle of the Christmas lights.
5. Christmas By The Sea
Location: The Tower Festival Headland, Blackpool
Dates: 15th November - 5th January
Opening Times: 12pm - 9pm
Number of Vendors: N/A
While Blackpool’s famed Christmas By The Sea is more of a festival than a market, we won’t waste time debating the difference between the two. Any Christmas party with gifts to buy is a market to us - and this one is well worth a place in the top 9! Held on Blackpool’s seaside promenade, this jamboree transforms the Tower Festival Headland into a Christmas village for the ages. Throw your head back and your arms up to embrace simulated snowfalls, rocket down 100 feet on the snow slide, or show off your nerves of steel with a ride on the 196-foot-tall Star Flyer Swing Ride - one of the tallest in Europe! Yes, there are gifts to buy as well: mementos of the Blackpool bash are easy to come by, and your loved ones will appreciate that you thought of them on your winterfest retreat!
6. Alpine Village Trafford Centre
Location: The Trafford Centre, Manchester
Dates: 1st November - 5th January
Opening Times: 10am - 9pm and 10pm, or 12pm - 6pm
Number of Vendors: 200+
If we’re talking about the most popular Christmas parties of the North West, we’d be remiss to forget about the Trafford Centre. While the definition of ‘market’ is stretched for this one, a trip to the Christmas-themed shopping centre will present you with several hundred shops to browse for the perfect gift. Trafford’s market is set up across the centre, with events, fairground rides and even an ice rink to give you a taste of the Christmas spirit. Shop for Black Friday sales while you whisk around the market trying out fairground rides, skidding across the ice and watching the circus come to town. If you’re looking to splash out on a very special someone, the chic shops of the Trafford Centre are the perfect place to pick out the right gift.
7. Hawkshead Christmas fair
Location: Hawkshead, Ambleside
Dates: 7th December - 8th December
Opening Times: 10am - 4pm
Number of Vendors: N/A
If your Christmas vibe is ethereal, there’s no better way to celebrate than a market on the edge of the Lake District. As the North West’s crowning jewel, the national park is known for its gorgeous mountains, sprawling lakes and dry stone buildings. Watch the snow cover all of it by attending the Hawkshead Christmas Fair this year, a much smaller Christmas market celebrating the quaint countryside of the Lakes. This is a family-friendly event with handcrafted artisan stalls, local produce and festive foods on offer, as well as carolling and live music. If you want your shopping to be a special holiday experience, you can’t go wrong in Hawkshead.
8. Sedbergh late night Christmas shopping
Location: Sedbergh
Dates: 4th December
Opening Times: 5pm - 8pm
Number of Vendors: N/A
Another quaint country experience for winter holidayers, Sedbergh’s short but action-packed late night shopping event is perfect for picking up handcrafted trinkets that you can’t find anywhere else. Open from 5 to 8pm on the 4th of December only, Sedbergh knows what it’s doing when it makes its market exclusive and unique. Watch out for the roads, however - the Yorkshire Dales can be a difficult drive in the winter!
9. Kendal Christmas celebration
Location: Kendal Market Place & Finkle Street, Kendal
Dates: 1st December
Opening Times: N/A
Number of Vendors: ~20
Known for its heavy-duty mint cake, the name ‘Kendal’ is more often seen on packaging than on a car’s GPS. With its historic town centre, cobblestone buildings and quaint streets, this hidden gem enjoys a backdrop of the fells as they take on snow for the winter. As a small one-day event, the Kendal Christmas Celebration is secreted away in the North West, overshadowed by the bigger bashes of the southerly cities. If you’re the type of shopper to look for something new, however, you have the opportunity to discover a lesser-known market and bring home gifts that you simply can’t buy anywhere else.
Want to try them all? It might be difficult to get to every good market in the North West in one year - so why not move to the area to have a better shot? Check out our new build homes in the North West to find out if you could take the next step towards your dream home today.
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