THE festive wrapping paper is on sale, the family-size box of Quality Street is stacked in shops – Christmas is officially on its way.
If you’re a true fan of the season, you’ll obviously want to head to the UK’s biggest Christmas market.
And the largest is actually in Manchester which opens at the beginning of next month.
Returning on November 6, it will run for over six weeks – so there’s plenty of time to visit whether you’re a local or not.
It’s so enormous that there are 210 stalls across 10 locations spread about the city centre.
The stalls will sell everything from festive food and drink – think hot chocolate and mulled wine – to international street food, if you’re over the yorkshire pudding wraps.
Handmade gifts and stocking fillers can be found there too, if you’re ready to start Christmas shopping.
Albert Square will be where most of the city’s festivities will be, including its 50-metre high Ferris wheel.
There will also be a pop-up ‘pub’ for the festive season as well as a giant Santa, a vintage Helter Skelter and a huge tree installation and life-sized selfie sleigh.
If you’re on the hunt for ice skating, you’ll find it at Cathedral Gardens along with some market stalls too.
Across the city will be live entertainment, and plenty of Christmas lights.
The Manchester Christmas Parade will be held again this year on December 6.
Kids will be able to spot Snow Queens, reindeers, Nutcrackers, toy soldiers and even Santa who will be travelling onboard the Elf Express.
Visitors will find the market spread across locations including; Albert Square, Lincoln Square, King Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, Cathedral Gardens, and Market Street.
A recent study by Christmas Tree World also recently crowned Manchester Christmas Market as the UK’s best.
Factors were based on the number of Google searches, social media posts and videos, hotel prices, history, number of stalls, entry cost and closeness to public transport.
With much cheaper hotel prices than the like of New York city, the Manchester Christmas Market was also voted second best in the world.
The market will come to a close on December 22.
However, the Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens will remain open throughout the Christmas period until January 3, 2027.