Saltaire Living Advent Calendar

Alice Hiley
saltaire living advent calendar
Saltaire Living Advent Calendar by Phil Jackson.

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar at Salts Mill, Saltaire 1 December 2024 — 1 January 2025 Entrance is free — Visit now

The Saltaire Living Advent Calendar has been a staple of the village since 2006, with community buildings and houses lighting up their windows with intricate illuminations. Window designs remain a secret until they are revealed at 4pm on their light-up date, and typically include traditional and modern festive scenes, quirky characters and tales influenced by Saltaire, culture, and the window creators own lives and experiences – often with a good sprinkling of festive humour!

A World Heritage Site, Saltaire is a Victorian model village originally built to house textile factory workers. The quaint cottages, with their stained glass windows, arched doorways and pristine gardens, are artworks in their own right.

Last year, over 60 windows were opened in the run up to Christmas, with 14 houses and community buildings illuminated from 1 December, then at least one new window being ‘opened’ each evening until 24 December. The displays remain “open” until 1 January, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the full collection.

There’s a vast array of designs each year, from traditional scenes of Santa with his reindeer to pop culture pieces referencing favourite Christmas films. People use art forms from painting to paper cutting, as well as adding fairy lights and animatronics to liven up the advent calendar. Some even have musical accompaniments playing from hidden speakers.

Make sure you download the Saltaire Living Advent Calendar map before visiting so you don’t miss any of the windows on the trail. What makes Saltaire’s light festival unique is that you can view the illuminations by car or on foot, so there’s no need to get caught out in Yorkshire’s blustery winter weather.

If it does turn chilly, Saltaire has plenty of bars and cafes to pop in for a warming hot chocolate or mulled wine. You’ll also find the incredible Salts Mill nearby, a former textile mill turned arts centre offering shops, restaurants and galleries, perfect for whiling away an afternoon.

Attracting visitors from near and far, the festival showcases this tight-knit community at its best.

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar at Salts Mill, Saltaire 1 December 2024 — 1 January 2025 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near Saltaire Living Advent Calendar

Saltaire
Tourist Attraction
Saltaire Trip Boat

Saltaire Trip boat runs every day between spring and summer, sharing the beauty of Saltaire from the vantage point of the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

Caroline street social club
Saltaire
Event venue
Caroline Street Social Club

Caroline Street Social Club brings together musicians, dancers, thespians and bingo players, in a club where live performance, real ale and a warm welcome are never out of fashion.

Bradford
Tourist Attraction
Victoria Hall

Saltaire’s Victoria Hall is a beautiful 15th century Italian inspired building first opened to the public in 1871.

radstudio
Saltaire
Shop
Radstudio

Radstudio is the place to go for design focused gift buying. Every item in the shop has something intriguing and unique.

The Live Room
Saltaire
Music venue
The Live Room

The Live Room is a well established Roots music club that attracts crowds from all over Yorkshire and acts from all over the world.

Salts Mill
Bradford
Gallery
Hockney 1853 Gallery

For a David Hockney fan, this is the place to be. Visit this lesser known gem for access to the beautiful collections of legendary David Hockney.

Event venue
The Craft House, Saltaire

The Craft House hosts an array of crafting workshops catering to all levels of experience and artistic interests.

Salt Pots Ceramic Studio
Saltaire
Shop
Salt Pots Ceramic Studio

Paint your own ceramics with Salt Pots, their mindful crafts are the perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon or enjoy a special occasion.

Saltaire
Café or Coffee Shop
Dandelion Cafe

Enjoy delicious vegan eats, lovingly made with fresh local produce, at the excellent Dandelion Cafe in Saltaire.

Bradford
Bar or Pub
SALT Beer Factory

SALT Beer Factory, named after the village of Saltaire where they first began, pride themselves making delicious craft beer for those who love it.

Bradford
Abbey Lodge Hotel

The stylish interior, proximity to picturesque Saltaire and warm welcome of Abbey Lodge Hotel make it an ideal place to stay.

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