Christmas in Harrogate
Christmas in Harrogate truly means a lot to business and residents
Harrogate BID support the Harrogate Christmas offer by working with our Destination Management Organisation, Visit Harrogate, to ensure it is the best of the best. Whether it is feeding back comments from retailers or match-funding a road train, we want to make sure Harrogate is ‘Destination Christmas’ and is enjoyed by residents, visitors and our members.
Additional Animation
From Ferris Wheels to Road Trains
Harrogate BID believe that great things happen when people come together. Christmas 2021 is a great example of this. Working closely with Destination Management Organisation Destination Harrogate ensured the town experienced a wonderful festive season which saw the first year of the Harrogate Christmas Fayre take over Cambridge Street, paired with additional animation including a ferris wheel, carousel, helter skelter and road train – Candy Cane Express, which was match-funded with Harrogate BID and Destination Harrogate. Due to the success of Christmas 2021, Harrogate BID were just as eager to get involved with the plans for 2022 which were to be even bigger and better.
Christmas 2022 in Harrogate was just that, featuring an extended Christmas Fayre, giant ferris wheel located next to the War Memorial, ice rink and a family offer situated at Crescent Gardens, and the return of the famed Candy Cane Express which took visitors the Christmas attractions around the town, free of charge.
Christmas Lights
Lighting up the Town
Harrogate BID fund every single Christmas light in the town centre that are switched on from mid-November right through to the new year, with 100,000 LED bulbs truly adding to the magic of Christmas in the town. Since Harrogate BID began in 2019, we have been able to increase the display of lights to ensure that more streets within the town are able to benefit from the eye-catching display.
The Christmas lights adorn buildings, lampposts and trees with an array of illuminations, starting with red pea lights in the four trees close to the War Memorial in time for Remembrance Day.
Father Christmas Experience
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Harrogate BID are proud to be the main sponsor for the Father Christmas Experience which has been ran by Enchantica’s for two successful years, bringing families into the Town Centre during the festive season. The Father Christmas was initially held at The Crown Hotel in 2021 and relocated to The Cedar Court Hotel in 2022, bringing over 3,500 people into the town centre on the lead up to Christmas.
Naughty Elf
Naughty Elf is Turning Over a New Leaf
Naughty Elf first made its appearance in Harrogate in 2020 as Harrogate BIDs festive campaign to bring people into town during the run up to Christmas after a turbulent year. The Naughty Elf was spotted across nine days at different locations across the town causing chaos wherever it went.
Following the Naughty Elf’s popularity, it returned to the town centre in 2021 and 2022 – but this time causing chaos in a vacant unit in the Victoria Shopping Centre. Harrogate BID for two consecutive years, dressed a vacant unit in an aim to bring families into town to see what the Naughty Elf and help the Elf turn over a new leaf by raising money for a dedicated charity.
North Pole Post Office
The North Pole Post Office: Harrogate Branch is Open for Business
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Harrogate BID and Harrogate International Festivals teamed up to be able to give Children the chance to send Father Christmas their letters as they were not able to see him in person.
Though after the pandemic, the popularity of the North Pole Post Office continued, and it has been a roaring success and has returned year on year. Harrogate BID are extremely proud to sponsor this initiative which truly adds to the Christmas cheer in the town.
