Discover Halifax at Christmas

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Discover Halifax at Christmas
Bruce Fitzgerald

23 November — 24 December 2019 Entrance is free — Visit now

Visit the historic minster town of Halifax this Christmas for what promises to be a fun-packed selection box of yuletide delights. With special events, family-friendly activities and more decorations than you can shake a candy cane at, we think Halifax is well worth a visit this Christmas.

Home to Quality Street chocolate, Halifax’s Christmas lights will take on a chocolate theme this year. Kindly supported by Quality Street (who will be producing in excess of 10 million sweets every day in the run up to Christmas), there will be dazzling displays of Christmas lights across the town, especially on Market Street, Northgate and George Street.

With special events, family-friendly activities and more decorations than you can shake a candy cane at.

In addition to the Christmas Lights Switch On, there will be fabulous window displays, boutique shopping, festive stalls and galleries. With plenty of gift ideas and plenty of food outlets, Halifax’s Borough Market will be lively and fun.

Head to the Old Market and visit the Magical Gift-Wrapping Workshop which is completely free and open every weekend from 30 November right up until Christmas. With free gift-wrapping, competitions, entertainment, giveaways and a super animatronics elf workshop, there’s more than enough to keep those kiddies entertained.

Halifax really has got Christmas all wrapped up this year.

Christmas is the perfect time for charity and this year the market will host a special ‘Gifting Tree’ where you can leave a present for a child to open on Christmas Day. Just select a tag, buy a suitable present, wrap it up and leave it under the ‘Gifting Tree’ at Albany Arcade. And fear not, if wrapping presents isn’t your forte, the handy gang of elves based in the Old Market will gift-wrap all your presents for free. Hurrah.

With plenty for all ages in Halifax this Christmas, be sure to check out the Christmas Tree Festival; Halifax Minster will be filled with the wonderful scent of over 30 Christmas trees for this popular event. And little ones will be able to post their letters to Father Christmas into the special interactive animatronic postbox at Albany Square in Borough Market. Be sure to post your letter before 10 December for a magical reply from the big guy.

We can’t think of a better time of year to discover this Northern town. With plenty of fabulous gift ideas and a flurry of festive activity, Halifax really has got Christmas all wrapped up this year.

23 November — 24 December 2019 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near Discover Halifax at Christmas

Church congregation at St George's Church in Leeds
Leeds
Place of worship
St George’s Church

St George’s is a lively city centre church in Leeds with three services every Sunday and a midweek programme that includes groups, courses and events. We’re here to help people

Picante
Liverpool
Restaurant
Picante

Picante is a sun-soaked Mexican restaurant at the trailblazing Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool.

Miru Mill
Manchester
Event venue
Miru Mill

Miru Mill is an event space and micro-factory based at Churchgate Mill in Stockport.

Spa
iglu sauna

An authentic and affordable sauna and cold plunge experience in Hebden Bridge, in a beautiful outdoor setting amongst the trees. Book a regular session for £12 per person, or find…

Salford
Restaurant
Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar

Kallos is a Greek restaurant and wine bar in Salford, serving up exquisite dishes throughout the day and evening.

Symmetry Room
City Centre
Museum
Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions Manchester is part of the global Museum of Illusions Group, the largest and fastest-growing chain of private museums in the world.

Tropical World logo
Leeds
Tourist Attraction
Tropical World

At Tropical World, families can enjoy a fun-filled and educational day out. Start your epic journey in the Butterfly House, where exotic butterflies fly freely through our swampy mangrove, fluttering

Manchester
Restaurant
Soap Street Pizza

Based at Nordie in Levenshulme, Soap Street Pizza put out the perfect pie: crispy base and inspired toppings.

What's on: Families

Two young visitors looking up at a banner in a case, holding pencils and an activity sheet.
Until
ActivityManchester
2025 Banner Bingo at PHM

Explore the People’s History Museum with your banner bingo card in hand as you navigate their galleries through the lens of craftivism.

free entry

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses
Literature Events in the North

We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Sextile
Music in the North

Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring. 

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

Three men sit next to each other. One's head is bandaged, one holds a torch and one wears a sleepmask.
Cinema in the North

Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.