What To Do This Weekend
New openings, Christmas fairs and wintry walks - here's how to spend your weekend
Fun at the Fair
Living North’s Christmas Fair will once again return to York Racecourse next weekend (20th–23rd November) and we can’t wait – and this weekend is the perfect time to get your tickets booked and take advantage of our early-bird ticket offer! It’s the biggest and best seasonal shopping event in Yorkshire, with hundreds of carefully-selected stands, from artisan designer-makers, local food producers and fashion retailers to homewares, gifts and accessories, and of course special Christmas decorations. Early Bird Discounted tickets are still available to buy here, so grab yours while you can.
What’s New
Handsome Sandwich is the newest opening to check out on Newcastle’s Chillingham Road, offering sandwiches that are a cut above the rest – think homemade onion bhajis with fresh cucumber salad, or homemade meatballs with feta and walnut pesto. This is also the first weekend of cocktail bar Wren, Anna Hedworth’s latest venture in Ouseburn. Barbour has just launched a festive takeover of FRED’s at Fenwick, where guests can enjoy a special Barbour-inspired menu, while in Yarm, La Terrazza is the brand new place to go for tapas and cocktails. Shaanti Town in Sheffield is the place to kick veganuary off early with a great range of vegan thali dishes and bakes, plus vegetarian options and the city’s only alcohol-free bar. In Leeds, Ankave is a new spot serving a blend of speciality coffee, wine and cocktails.
Christmas is Coming
The happiest season is nearly upon us so get the festivities started now. With stalls on Grainger Street, Grey Street, around Grey’s Monument, in Old Eldon Square and, new for this year, on Nelson Street, Newcastle’s Christmas Markets return this Saturday (15th) bringing together more than 60 businesses. York Christmas Festival returns from today, bringing local crafts, artisan products and delicious seasonal treats to Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square. York Nutcracker Trail is also back from today (13th) featuring 10 unique nutcrackers designed by young local artists.
Artfully Done
Durham’s much-loved light show Lumiere is back this weekend (13th–15th) for the final time. At Crook Hall, explore Glimmer by Laura Brenchley, featuring hundreds of decorated lanterns designed by the local community. Keep your eyes peeled for a mesmerising heron lighting up the riverside, and be transfixed by the interactive melting exhibition at Millennium Place. This is your last weekend to visit Gaia at Hexham Abbey, a stunning replica of Earth made using NASA imagery of the world’s surface. At Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, their Winter Illuminations begin this weekend. Follow the three-kilometre illuminated lanterned trail for a magical evening out.
Out and About
Keep your time spent outside simple this weekend by following one of the many way-marked paths that snake through the North. The Roof of England walk is a multi-leg route that takes in the stunning landscape of the North Pennines. There are plenty of places to hop on and off this trail (with a clear map of the full route online), but we love the leg between Blanchland and Edmundbyers. Slightly over five miles, it’s a truly breathtaking walk. The completed King Charles III England Coast Path is a great way to take in the fascinating length of the Yorkshire coastline. In particular, we love the stretch along the Holderness Coast, a rugged area that has one of the highest rates of coastal erosion in the UK. You can find out more about the completed coast path here.
Sing it Out
Seeking nostalgia? Limited tickets are still available for boyband JLS who will be performing at Utilita Arena Sheffield this Friday (14th). The legendary Bob Dylan will be at Leeds First Direct Arena this Friday too, as part of his latest tour of the UK and Ireland. Head to O2 City Hall in Newcastle for CMAT, the Mercury Prize-nominated Irish artist who’s going viral online for her wild on-stage energy.
