Welcome to the July edition of the Harrogate BID newsletter.
The past two months have been incredibly busy, with a packed programme of events, campaigns and projects showcasing everything that makes Harrogate such a fantastic place to live, work and visit.
Our Floral Summer of Celebration has once again transformed the town centre, this year celebrating the 60th anniversary of Harrogate International Festivals through a series of unique floral displays. It has been fantastic to see so many residents, visitors and businesses engaging with the trail, and I’d like to thank all of our partners, sponsors and supporters who helped make it possible.
Earlier this month, we were also proud to return to the Great Yorkshire Show with our Harrogate High Street, giving thousands of visitors the opportunity to discover some of the brilliant independent businesses that make our town so special. Events like these play an important role in promoting Harrogate as a destination and encouraging people to return throughout the year.
Supporting businesses remains at the heart of everything we do. Alongside our events programme, we’ve continued to strengthen our Business Crime Reduction Partnership with the launch of Shop Safe Alert for retailers, while our team has been working closely with partners and other Business Improvement Districts to bring new ideas and best practice back to Harrogate.
Looking ahead, there’s plenty more to come. The much-loved Harrogate Lego Trail returns on 1st August, alongside our joint Summer Social with Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, and we’re looking forward to welcoming families into the town centre throughout the summer holidays.
As always, our focus remains on delivering value for levy payers, supporting local businesses and ensuring Harrogate continues to thrive as a vibrant, welcoming destination.
If you have any feedback or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with the BID team at info@harrogatebid.co.uk.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Midgley
Chair, Harrogate BID
Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration
This year’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration has once again transformed Harrogate town centre with eight spectacular floral displays celebrating the 60th anniversary of Harrogate International Festivals.
Organised by Harrogate BID in partnership with Harrogate International Festivals and proudly sponsored by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, the trail celebrates Harrogate’s floral heritage while encouraging residents and visitors to explore the town centre.
The displays include the HIF60 installation at the War Memorial, giant floral books commemorating 100 years since Agatha Christie’s disappearance, the circus-themed display on Montpellier Hill, and the community library outside Harrogate International Festivals’ headquarters.
A huge thank you goes to Helen James Flowers for supplying the beautiful flowers, Horticap for replanting the planters at Victoria Shopping Centre, and everyone who helped bring this year’s displays to life.
Harrogate High Street at
The Great Yorkshire Show
Harrogate BID was proud to bring Harrogate High Street to the Great Yorkshire Show, working in partnership with the show’s organisers to create a dedicated space showcasing the very best of the town.
Over the four-day event, thousands of visitors discovered what makes Harrogate such a special place to shop, eat, drink and explore, with a fantastic mix of retailers, hospitality businesses and attractions represented on the mini high street. Our member businesses had a fantastic week, meeting new customers and raising awareness of their businesses.
A huge thank you to every business that joined us, as well as those who supplied promotional leaflets for visitors to take away.
If you haven’t already, take a look at the interview series on our social media channels to hear directly from the businesses that took part and what Harrogate High Street meant to them.
If you’d like your business to be part of Harrogate High Street in 2027, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with the Harrogate BID team to find out more.
Dinky Dinosaurs Lego Trail to arrive this August
The Harrogate Lego Trail returns from Saturday 1st August with this year’s theme, Dinky Dinosaurs.
Sponsored by The Crown Hotel and created in partnership with Fairy Bricks, the free family trail will feature 13 large-scale Lego dinosaur models displayed throughout Harrogate town centre.
Collect a trail map from The Crown Hotel or Games Crusade, scan the QR code at each location to uncover the secret word and claim your prize from Games Crusade. Everyone who completes the trail can also enter a prize draw to win a £50 Harrogate Gift Card.
The trail runs until Tuesday 1st September.
Learn more here: https://harrogatebid.co.uk/lego2026/
Shop Safe Alert launches for retailers
Harrogate BID has begun rolling out Shop Safe Alert as part of our Business Crime Reduction Partnership.
The new platform enables retailers to share real-time information about shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and suspicious activity, strengthening communication between businesses, Harrogate BID and North Yorkshire Police.
The scheme is free for BID levy payers and complements the existing town centre radio network and CCTV system.
If you’d like to register your interest, please fill in the form at the link here.
Learning from NE1 Newcastle
This month, members of the Harrogate BID team visited NE1 Newcastle BID to learn from one of the UK’s longest-established Business Improvement Districts.
Operations Manager Bethany Allen and Business Crime Officer Paul Evans attended NE1’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) meeting to explore best practice around tackling retail crime, partnership working and supporting businesses through effective crime prevention initiatives.
Meanwhile, Marketing & Communications Executive JJ Lewis-Roberts spent time with NE1’s marketing team, sharing ideas and learning more about destination marketing, events promotion, business engagement and communications.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and identify initiatives that could benefit Harrogate as we continue to strengthen our Business Crime Reduction Partnership, develop our marketing activity and support businesses across the town centre.
Chamber & Harrogate BID Summer Social
Join us for an informal evening of networking with fellow Harrogate BID levy payers and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce members.
📅 Monday 10th August
🕠 5:30pm
📍 Royal Parade by Harrogate Brewing Co.
Places are limited, so we’d encourage you to book early. Members have been emailed with the invite link.
Children’s Art Competition – Harrogate Library
Harrogate BID is pleased to be supporting Harrogate Library with a children’s art competition, giving young people the opportunity to design a flower display for the Library Gardens.
The competition is open to children aged 4–11, with two age categories.
Entry forms are available to collect from Harrogate Library or can be downloaded from the Harrogate BID website. Completed entries should be handed in at the library by Monday 31st August.
Learn more here: https://harrogatebid.co.uk/childrens-art-competition-design-your-own-flower-display-for-the-library-gardens/
Family Fun Fiesta Returns to Victoria Shopping Centre
Looking for free family activities this summer? Victoria Shopping Centre is hosting its Family Fun Fiesta throughout August, with a different themed event taking place each Saturday from 11am–2pm in the Piazza.
Families can enjoy a range of free activities, including dinosaur encounters, slime workshops and live music, making it a great reason to spend time in Harrogate town centre during the school holidays.
The events take place on 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd August and are free to attend, with something different to enjoy each week.
Whether you’re taking part in the Harrogate LEGO Trail or simply enjoying a day out in town, be sure to stop by the Piazza and join in the fun.
Read more here.