Chester’s Christmas Market opens this weekend
Chester’s ever-popular Christmas Market opened this weekend in Town Hall Square.
The Christmas Market will be open Sunday to Wednesday 10.30am to 6.30pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10.30am to 8pm.
Chester’s new indoor Market is now open and another new attraction this year is a weekend Makers Market being held in the new Exchange Square at Northgate from 19 November until 18 December.
Exchange Square is expected to be the number one selfie spot, with a new Christmas decoration bringing a sparkle to the square.
Also new this year is the Rows Christmas Bazaar running on Thursday’s and weekends during November and December.
There is a programme of activities, part of the Heritage Action Zone Project, supported by Visit Chester and Cheshire. The activities will include Christmas carols, crafts, face painting and storytelling.
In the lead up to Christmas there will be a host of parades and activities.
The key dates for the diary:
- Christmas Market – Friday 18 November to Wednesday 22 December
- Makers Market – each weekend from 19 November to 18 December
- The Rows Christmas Bazaar – from 19 November to 18 December
- Twelve Days of Christmas Parade – Thursday 24 November at 7pm
- Chester BIDs Santa’s Enchanted Grotto – 25 November until 24 December
- Free Parking from Chester BID – Chester Racecourse – each weekend starting 26 November – 24 December.
- Christmas Past at Chester Castle – 26 November 11am to 4pm and 5pm to 7pm
- Lantern Parade – Wednesday 30 November at 7pm
- Winter Watch Parade – Thursday 8 December at 7pm
- Saturnalia Parade plus Second Winter Watch Parade – Thursday 15 December 6.30pm
The Twelve Days of Christmas parade on Thursday 24 November starts on Bridge Street at 7pm. Organised by Cheshire West and Chester Council the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ is the first of four parades to return this year.
Community groups and local artists will parade through the city centre from Bridge Street, travelling towards the Cross, Eastgate Street, St Werburgh Street, past the Town Hall and ending in Watergate Street.
Father Christmas will greet the parade with pyrotechnics at key locations, at the Cross, Eastgate Clock, Chester Cathedral, and the Town Hall.
Don’t worry if you only catch a brief glimpse of Father Christmas during the Christmas parade, he is returning to his own grotto in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre from 25 November until 24 December.
Parking in Chester this Christmas…
You can park all day in a number of city car parks from around £5
Chester Racecourse car park (CH1 2LY) also have free parking between 10am and 5pm on the following weekends brought to you by Chester BID and Chester Racecourse:
- Saturday 26th November
- Sunday 27th November
- Saturday 3rd December
- Sunday 4th December
- Saturday 10th December
- Sunday 11th December
- Saturday 17th December
- Sunday 18th December
- Christmas Eve – Saturday 24th December
Chester’s Park & Ride
If you’re coming into the city Christmas shopping in December leave your car at home and use the Park & Ride at the following locations for just £2 for a return ticket.
Your ticket is valid all day and you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you like.
- Boughton Heath (off the A41 Whitchurch Road – nearest postcode CH3 5QD)
- Upton (Zoo – nearest postcode CH2 4BB)
- Wrexham Road (off the A483 opposite Chester Business Park – nearest postcode CH4 9QD)
Park & Ride at Sealand Road (on the A548 opposite the car dealerships – nearest postcode CH1 4LD) is currently not in use.
