Christmas is edging closer and there are plenty of festivities taking place over the next couple of weeks.
Among them are a growing number of churches hosting Christmas tree festivals around the Harrogate district.
If you fancy seeing some inspiring, creative decorations, check out our list below of some of the festivals taking place across the district.
Know of another that’s not on our list? Email the details to us now.
St James’s Church Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge launched the district’s festivals last weekend with some spectacular efforts.
Visitors cast their votes and overwhelmingly selected Kirby Hill WI’s jam jar tree as their favourite (pictures below). The Post Office was in second place and Spar came third.
In the children’s competition, Boroughbridge Scouts came out on top, followed by Roecliffe Primary School and Boroughbridge Junior School Early Years.
The festival concluded with a carol service on Sunday.
St John’s Church, Knaresborough
The St John’s Christmas Tree Festival returns for another year.
The Knaresborough Christmas tree festival takes place every year: 70 Christmas trees are decorated by local groups and are displayed in the St John’s Church in the heart of Knaresborough.
It started last weekend and is running up until the December 23.
As well as the Christmas tree competition there is live music and festive mulled wine refreshments.
There will be live music every Saturday of the festival:
- Saturday, December 10
- Saturday, December 17
Admission to the festival is free, but donations to the church and their chosen charity are welcomed.
The event takes place at Vicarage Lane, Knaresborough HG5 9AE.
St John’s Church, Bilton
The Christmas tree festival in Bilton got up and running last weekend and continues throughout the month.
It features 20 trees created by community groups, many themed by the teams behind them.
The church is open from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Thursday each week, for visitors to see the trees. They are also on show at services until the end of December.
Entry is free and everyone is welcome at the Bilton Lane church.
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St Andrew’s Church, Blubberhouses
Another Christmas tree festival with an amazing variety of trees, a creative and festive event for everyone.
The festival is open this weekend, Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11, from 11am to 4pm.
On Sunday, The 4 – a musical quartet will be singing Christmas music and carols.
There will also be wreaths and Christmas crafts for sale.
Enjoy a festive atmosphere with mulled wine and refreshments.
Admission to this event is free and it is taking place at Shepherd Hill Road, Blubberhouses, Otley, LS21 2NU.
Boroughbridge Christmas Tree Festival
St Peter’s Church, Harrogate
St Peter’s Church Christmas Tree Festival returns for its 18th year.
The festival is running from December 10 to 17 and organisers hope to make this year “bigger and brighter than ever”.
The opening times are 8am to 5.15pm.
Charities, local schools, shops, and businesses have been invited to decorate a Christmas tree or wreath, decorations can either be Christmas themed or reflect their organisation.
This gives the decorators an opportunity to tell the community about their activities and achievements and brings the whole community together for some festive fun at the end of the year.
Attendees will vote for their favourite Christmas tree, and the winner will be announced at their 9.30am service on December 18.
The trees each have their own frame with details of who the tree is sponsored by and the name or theme of the tree.
It takes place at St Peter’s Church, Cambridge Road, Harrogate HG1 1PB.
Time to sparkle: Your guide to Christmas lights switch-ons across the districtDuring the current climate, we all need a bit of sparkle in our lives.
And what better way to inject some festive cheer than switching on the Christmas lights.
Here are the dates for your diary for switch-on events across the district:
Harrogate – Thursday, November 17
The countdown to Christmas in Harrogate will officially get underway this evening, with Harrogate BID flicking the festive switch.
There will be no official switch-on event this year, however Christmas lights around the town centre will start to dazzle for the first time this evening.
The whole town will be illuminated by the weekend.
Ripon – Saturday, November 19
Ripon’s festive season gets into full swing this weekend, with the switch-on of the city’s Christmas lights on Saturday.
The city’s Market Square will be a hive of activity from 1pm, ahead of the lights switch-on, which takes place at 5pm.
The reindeer, which proved popular when they visited Ripon for last year’s event, will be returning with Santa and once again there will be free fairground rides and a climbing wall for children to enjoy.
The Ripon City Council event will also provide free musical entertainment from 2pm.
Knaresborough – Friday, November 25
Boroughbridge – Wednesday, December 7
Santa’s sleigh out and about in Boroughbridge in 2018.
The annual late night Christmas Shopping and lights switch-on event, organised by the town’s Chamber of Trade, will take place on Wednesday, December 7.
The event kicks-off with the official switch-on of the Christmas tree lights in Hall Square at 5.30pm, followed by short performances by school choirs.
Boroughbridge Lions will have Santa and his sleigh on display and there will be children’s rides, along with the Scouts’ roast chestnuts and Brighter Boroughbridge with a mulled wine and mince pies stall. There will also be a hog roast.
The shop window display competition theme this year is “A Christmas Panto”.
The lights on the Christmas tree will be switched on by BBC Radio York’s Georgey Spanswick and the Mayor, Sean Hynes.
Thieves steal wrapped Christmas presents from Harrogate homeThieves have stolen wrapped presents from a Harrogate home just days before Christmas.
Police are appealing for witnesses following the burglary on East Parade, which took place yesterday between 2pm and 5.30pm when the residents were at work.
As well as the presents, several other high-value items were stolen and police believe they may have been carried away in a duvet cover, which was also missing.
A police statement added:
“We are appealing for information about any sightings of someone in the immediate vicinity carrying these items, items possibly concealed within a bedsheet or any relevant CCTV.”
Anyone with information on the incident should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Jacobs. You can also email katie.jacobs@northyorkshire.police.uk
Read more:
A Harrogate gallery has set up a charity Giving Tree in aid of children from Syria and Afghanistan.
Watermark Gallery has organised the Christmas tree, which is decorated with a tag for each of the 73 refugee children in the Harrogate district.
Anyone who would like to support the project is being asked to take a tag and buy a gift of up to £20 suitable for the age and gender given.
Two-year-old Agatha (pictured above) was the first to buy a gift.
Anna Martola, from Watermark Gallery who has organised the project, said:
“We were struck by how much these families have been through and wanted to do something positive and creative to help welcome them to our region.
“These children have so little and will be surrounded by others who are receiving so much.”
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The gallery is working with Ripon City of Sanctuary, a charity that supports families throughout the Harrogate district, many of whom have recently arrived from Syria and Afghanistan.
For those who are not able to buy their own gift, the gallery is taking donations and will buy on their behalf. It is also donating colouring books and coloured pencils to each family.
A spokesperson for Ripon City of Sanctuary said:
“We are so delighted that Watermark Gallery has chosen Ripon City of Sanctuary as their charity this year. It is such a positive and welcoming project and we know just how grateful our families will be”.
Anyone wishing to donate a gift is asked to do so before December 18 to give the charity time to distribute them out to each family.
Watermark Gallery can be contacted on 01423 562659 or in person at 8 Royal Parade, Harrogate, HG1 2SZ.