This northern city’s Christmas market is back for another year, with more stalls, attractions and cosy festive feels than ever before – and I took a look around to see what this year had to offer
If you’re still feeling a little Grinch-like this December, then nothing will help get you in the festive spirit quite like a visit to a Christmas market. The twinkly lights, delicious smells, Christmas music and seasonal decorations are guaranteed to defrost even the most chilly feelings about the festive season, and help you feel a little more merrily inclined as we head into December.
To help kickstart the festive feels, I headed to Newcastle’s recently-opened Christmas market, which was named one of the UK’s best by Which?, who also said: “Newcastle might just be our favourite Christmas market underdog.” And as a resident of the North East, I have to say this year did seem bigger and better than ever.
Whether you’re looking for family friendly activities, a cute date night or a way to celebrate the countdown to Christmas with friends, there are plenty of different ways you can tackle the market and what it has to offer – with one thing in particular helping me feel a bit less Scrooge and a little more Santa. This year, the market made its comeback on 15 November and will run until 23 December, so you’ve still got plenty of time to hit the stalls and plan a family day out.
One of the best upgrades this year was seeing that more than 80% of the stalls are now run by independent businesses, all of which hail from within a 20 mile radius of Newcastle. That means less bratwurst and repetitive, generic displays, and more local, artisanal things to buy. This year the vendors will also have a more flexible approach, which not only allows part-time sellers and themed market stalls to take up space, but it also means that every time you visit there’ll be something new to see. There’s also the usual combination of items like jewellery, decorations and fashion pieces to buy, as well as pet stalls, vendors selling local cheeses, local products like Geordie Banger’s sausages, and foodie favourites from the likes of Red’s Mac and Cheese and Acropolis.
Outside of things to buy, my absolute favourite part is the Moosenwirt drinks tipi and the North Pole igloos that have been placed around Grey’s Monument. I pre-booked one of the igloos and was glad I had, as it offered some well-timed shelter from the downpour that hit. Not only are they enclosed, but they’re fully heated, with music playing and table service bringing you your drinks. You can even bring in your own food from the markets to enjoy around the table. While it’s generally advised that you pre-book these as they fill up quickly, you can sometimes get lucky with a walk-in.
Out of everything I ate and drank at the market, one thing in particular helped me get right into the festive spirit – the boozy hot chocolates. Now, you can of course get family-friendly, alcohol-free options for the kids and non-drinkers amongst you, but if you’re looking for something that’ll warm you up from the inside out whilst making you feel ultra-cosy and Christmassy, it’s these.
There are so many flavours to choose from, like Biscoff or mint candy cane, and each one comes topped with whipped cream, wafers and toppings related to your flavour of choice. We tried a few, and the Biscoff one was a firm favourite, especially when you add a shot of Baileys into the mix. You can also top up with things like Kahlua or coconut rum to create the perfect winter warmer. You can also get a little pup cup for your four legged friends, which went down a storm with my pug who accompanied us to the igloos.
If you’re looking to plan a full day at the Newcastle Christmas market, new additions this year include a huge family Festive Village at Old Eldon Square, which has a tipi with Santa’s Stories, an Elf Workshop, live stage performances, festive films, and fairground rides. The 50 foot ferris wheel is a brand new addition to this year’s market, which we also took a ride on to get a rarely-seen view of Newcastle.
I will say the rides are a little steep in price, with single adult tickets £5, £4 for children under 1.2m, and £15 for a family of four, but you get great views of iconic Newcastle locations like Grey’s Monument and St James’ Park, and it’ll be a fun experience for the family.
Overall this is a great day out whether you’ve got a family or are planning a more grown up visit. It is a little on the pricey side, especially if you’ve got a large family, but for an annual treat, I recommend going at least once this festive season.