Knutsford Christmas Market returns for its eighth year on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December!

Knutsford Christmas Market runs across two days in Knutsford Town Centre this year, with some changes due to Coronavirus.

This year the market will be reduced, featuring half the usual number of stalls, and split across two main sites in Princess Street car park behind Waitrose and Silk Mill Street car park, with a few stalls on Princess Street. Princess Street will be closed for the duration of the event to allow visitors to social distance from other households.

The market will run at amended timings of 11am – 4pm on both days this year, as unfortunately there will be no parade or additional entertainment which usually takes place on the Saturday of the weekend.

Despite the reduced number of stalls, visitors to the market can expect to find a vast array of incredible artisan food, drinks, art, jewellery, candles, textiles and many more special gift ideas for your loved ones, provided by local traders. Attendees can visit 70 independent traders on each day of the market.

The Park and Ride service will return to the market by popular demand, offering a free shuttle bus service into the town centre from Booths Hall, which is just one mile outside of town. Visitors can park for free at Booths Hall and board a shuttle bus free of charge which will drop them off at Knutsford Bus Station, just a one-minute walk from Princess Street. Optional donations will be collected by volunteers from the Cheshire Badger Vaccination Programme who are kindly marshalling the service for the third year.

Visitors to the market are asked to follow the one-way systems which will be in place, as well as making use of hand sanitiser stations which will be provided and maintaining a 2M distance from other households where possible. Mask wearing is not compulsory at the market, but they can be worn at your own discretion. Knutsford Christmas Market is also supporting the NHS Track and Trace app, and visitors will be asked where possible to scan in using the QR codes shown around the sites to help organisers keep visitors safe.

Alex Brown, Events Officer at the Town Council, said: “We are thrilled that our market is able to go ahead this year. It has been a difficult journey getting here, including postponing from our original November dates, but we were determined that if we could put on a safe and successful event we would as we know the market brings so much festive cheer to our lovely town.

We have taken all possible preventative measures and ask that visitors to the market follow these as much as possible, and are respectful to our staff and traders who have all worked so hard to make this happen, as well as being respectful of other market attendees.

We know the market will look and feel different this year, but we do hope that local people will come and enjoy some festivities and visit our 70 independent traders a day who sell incredible artisan products, as well as visiting our amazing town centre businesses who have worked so hard to support us all this year.”

You can find out more information about the Christmas Market by visiting their Facebook page, or by emailing christmas@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or calling 01565 653 929.