With the festive season firmly upon us, Christmas markets and yuletide events are taking place all over Leicestershire and the surrounding area.
Whether you are picking up a treat for yourself or looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, you’ll find artisan arts and crafts and unique decorations to brighten up your home. There’ll be plenty of refreshments too, in the form of locally produced food and drink.
From cakes and bakes to delicious pies, and from hot chocolate to mulled wine and locally brewed beer and cider, you’ll find something for everyone.
Keep reading for five of the best Christmas fairs and markets on your doorstep this December.
1. Stoughton Grange Christmas Fair, Oadby
Taking place between 4 pm and 8 pm on Saturday, 3 December, you’ll find gifts, crafts, wreaths, and Christmas trees. There will be food and drink too, with cakes and bakes on site, and mulled wine available from the nearby Cow and Plough pub.
Stoughton Grange itself has a wealth of history stretching back to the Domesday Book. More recently, the site – now home to shops, offices, and leisure facilities – has become the Stoughton Grange Rural Centre.
You’ll find the Grange just three miles east of Leicester city centre and entry is free.
2. Festive Gift Fair, Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse Eaves
A beautiful Victorian country house in Woodhouse, Beaumanor Hall nestles in 34 acres of gorgeous Leicestershire countryside.
The gift fair runs from 10 am until 4 pm on the weekends of 10 and 11 December and 17 and 18 December. Entry is £3 for adults but under-12s go free. Parking is also free.
Inside the magnificence of the great hall, you’ll find handcrafted Christmas gifts for every friend and family member, including health and beauty treats, and unique Christmas decorations. You’ll also find mince pies, mulled wine, and a winter barbeque.
When you’ve finished shopping, relax in the lounge, and listen to festive music to really get you in the Christmas spirit.
3. Christmas Market, Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray’s Christmas Market takes place between 2 and 4 December in the town centre.
The Friday event runs from 10 am until 8 pm and includes the town’s big Christmas light switch-on. On Saturday and Sunday, the market takes place between 10 am and 4 pm.
You’ll find the usual mix of stalls selling handmade arts and crafts, locally produced food and drink, and some great gift ideas.
Alongside the wide range of stalls, there will be live music and entertainment to enjoy, including street theatre, fairground rides, and even a miniature steam train.
Youngsters won’t want to miss a visit to Santa’s Grotto. Santa will be visiting the Market Place between 10 am and 2 pm on Friday, and between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
4. Christmas Craft Fair, The Guildhall, Leicester
Built in 1390, the Guildhall is Leicester’s oldest building still in regular use. Formerly a meeting place and banquet hall, it now plays host to musical concerts, plays, and comedy gigs.
And, on 3 and 4 December, the Grade I-listed building will house the Guildhall Christmas Craft Fair.
Open between 11 am and 4 pm, kids go free and adults will pay just £1.
Support local creatives and local history by enjoying the building and its Christmas cast of artisan food, drinks, crafts, and Christmas goodies.
Once you’ve witnessed the beauty of the Guildhall, why not head back after the festive season to see it in its post-Christmas guise as a museum, gallery, and haunted house?
5. Ashby Food Gusto Christmas Fair
Another event taking place on the very busy weekend of 3 and 4 December, Market Street in Ashby will be taken over by the Food Gusto Christmas Fair.
With live entertainment supplied by Ashby Town Council running alongside the event, you’ll be able to soak up plenty of festive spirit as you get down to some serious shopping.
Local food and drink producers and sellers will be bringing local wine, beer, and spirits, as well as mulled wine and specialist coffee. You’ll find plenty to eat too, including woodfired pizzas and Korean fried chicken.
The event is free and will run from 10.30 am on both days. Saturday’s fair will culminate in the switching of the tree, while Sunday night will feature live music from Sincerely Yours, a duo covering hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s.
