Discover Halifax at Christmas

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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Discover Halifax at Christmas

23 November-24 December 2019

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Discover Halifax at Christmas
Bruce Fitzgerald
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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.

Where to go near Discover Halifax at Christmas

Blackburn
Hotel
Northcote Hotel

Northcote’s luxury hotel perfectly matches its Michelin-star restaurant, nestled in the Ribble Valley hills on the edge of the Forest of Bowland.

Medlock Square
Manchester
Event venue
Medlock Square

Medlock Square is a new £300m entertainment complex betwixt the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live, with Zadie’s, Little Beast, a hotel, market hall and more.

Zadie's
Manchester
Restaurant
Zadie’s

Italo-Japanese plates and razzle-dazzle glamour at Medlock Square. Featuring live acts, a space-age bar and a bird’s-eye view onto the Manchester City pitch.

Grafton Arms
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Grafton Arms

Grafton Arms has undergone an impressive revamp. The Eagle Inn team have turned this traditional pub into a standout live venue and drinking destination.

Proloco
Manchester
Restaurant
Proloco

Honest Crust’s Richard Carver and Rainy Heart’s Dan Hope join forces at Proloco, a music-led Ancoats restaurant serving 18-inch pizzas and seasonal plates.

City Centre
Restaurant
GiGi Gusto Griglia

GiGi is a lavish Italian restaurant just off Deansgate, with 1950s décor and a menu that sticks to the classics.

Blackburn
Restaurant
Northcote

Northcote’s Michelin-starred restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the Ribble Valley. We get a first look at the new autumnal menu.

Cumbria
Restaurant
Pentonbridge Inn

Pentonbridge Inn is a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in north Cumbria. Eight courses of bunkum-free fine dining from head chef Chris Archer.

Manchester
Restaurant
Dahlia Stereo

Dahlia Stereo is a Latin American-inspired open-fire kitchen and bar off the Northern Quarter’s Stevenson Square, with a pitch perfect soundsystem.

Balance Taproom
Manchester
Restaurant
Balance Taproom

Manchester has a glut of taprooms, and Balance Brewing’s is far and away the best. Drinks, decor, service – all a cut above.

Richard Hards ‘Strangeways’
Manchester
Gallery
Moon Grove

A Georgian front room in Rusholme houses Moon Grove, an independent gallery with an unusually ambitious international programme.

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