In one year and out the other...
There’s snow place like Northumberland during the festive period. Market towns strung with fairy lights, Christmas shopping for trinkets and gifts, quirky New Year’s Eve celebrations and dazzling stars that embed the county’s gold-tier dark skies in Northumberland are all waiting for you at the most wonderful time of the year.
Soak up the atmosphere of our market towns and marvel at mind-blowing Northumberland castles dressed for the festive season. Locally produced mulled wine, indulgent nibbles and gifts fit to fill your Christmas stockings are just a few of the delights waiting for you at Northumberland’s Christmas markets, including the Ford and Etal Christmas Market. Be sure not to miss out on Northumberland's wonderful local produce from our Northumberland farm shops and discover festive treats and tasty tipples to prepare you for that all-important Christmas Day lunch.
Head to one of the fantastic Christmas events taking place throughout November, December and January. Enjoy festive party nights, meet Father Christmas, get creative at a wreath-making workshop and see in the New Year with the unique Tar Bar’l Festival in Allendale, where 45 guisers carry flaming barrels through the streets in a spectacular fire festival recorded for at least 160 years.
Go on a Boxing Day walk in Northumberland and watch the waves crashing on windswept beaches, breathe in the crisp air in Northumberland National Park, feel the tranquillity of Kielder Water and Forest Park and be at one with history on Hadrian’s Wall.
Start a new Christmas Eve tradition with Northumberland’s sky full of stars. Make a flask of hot chocolate, get the family bundled up and admire the canopy of nature’s own fairy lights twinkling above you. You might even see Santa Claus dashing across the sky towards a coastal village in his sleigh! You can stargaze on the coast or in Northumberland’s International Dark Sky Park, where you can feast your eyes on up to 2,000 stars at any one time.
Christmas Markets in Northumberland
Wrap up warm and feel inspired at a Northumberland Christmas market. Come along to shop for your stocking fillers and Christmas crafts, find the perfect present for the mother-in-law you never know what to buy for and treat yourself to some locally produced mince pies, gingerbread men and other festive treats. To plan your Christmas shopping in Northumberland, check out our Christmas market guide.
Festive Events for 2026 in Northumberland
Get into the festive spirit with a trip to Bamburgh Castle, where the State Rooms are transformed for A Christmas Carousel, with each room inspired by a different much-loved Christmas song or carol, from 14th November to 3rd January. The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei come alive after dark with Winter Lights, a trail of spectacular sights and sounds full of family fun, from 20th November to 3rd January. In Wooler, join the candlelit Procession of the 6m Yule Straw Goat on 27th November as Ad Gefrin welcomes in Yule.
Our Christmas markets and fairs include Belsay Hall's Christmas Craft Fair on 21st and 22nd November, a traditional festive gift fair where you will find Christmas gifts and crafts from local producers for your loved ones. Alnwick Castle, usually closed in winter, opens its doors especially for its Christmas Fair on 25th November. On 28th and 29th November, the Ford & Etal Christmas Market brings over 70 stalls to Ford and Etal Estates in North Northumberland, with a vintage double-decker bus and the Heatherslaw Light Railway linking the market hubs. Then on 12th December, Hexham Christmas Market lines the traditional Beaumont Street in Hexham with colourful and elegant stalls, with the backdrop of Hexham Abbey close by for a true Christmas experience.
Winter Wonderlands in Northumberland
Festive fun is available at Kielder Winter Wonderland set within the characteristic Kielder Water & Forest Park from 28th November to 23rd December. This full day experience is packed with family activities to keep your little ones mesmerised all day, with Father Christmas relaxing in his grotto before his travels. In Alnwick, step through the gates of A Lilidorei Christmas from 16th November to 3rd January, where the magical village's nine clans welcome home Father Christmas and his helpers, or follow Walking with The Snowman™, a sculpture trail through the grounds of Belsay Hall from 7th November to 10th January.
Northumberland Christmas Events
Enjoy Christmas events in Northumberland, from Christmas Markets in Northumberland and wreath-making workshops to festive tales and visits with Father Christmas.
