Skipton Christmas Market 2026: Two Sundays in December

This old Dales market town makes a full winter day out, with a medieval castle at the top of its main street and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal close by. The Skipton Christmas Market fills the cobbles with stalls selling wool, cheese and hot food. Visit the market in the morning, then spend the afternoon at the castle or take a walk along the canal.

Skipton Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Skipton dates: 6th and 13th December 2026
Last checked: November 2026

Update: Dates were announced in July. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Facebook.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: Skipton High Street
Opening times: Sunday, 10am to 4pm

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended tour: ghost and history walk
Public transport: Bus – Market Place stop.
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion. If necessary, parking is available at Skipton High Street Car Park.
Where to stay: The Woolly Sheep Inn is just off the High Street.

Amenities and Attractions

Admission: Free
Santa: No
Ice skating: No
Lights switch on: 29th November (plus Christmas stalls).
Santa Fun Run: 29th November at 11am to 1pm. Official fun run website.
Reason to visit: A traditional, local market held in the town centre.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Yes, plenty of options.
Vegan: Yes, plenty of options.
Gluten-free: Limited. Ask individual vendors, but beware of cross-contamination.
Specialities: Fruit mince pies, freshly roasted nuts, traditional mulled wine and German-style bratwurst.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Yes, but not recommended due to crowds.

Convenient Hotels

Most places to stay in and around town are small, locally owned B&Bs and inns. The Woolly Sheep Inn is one of the best known, a pub with rooms that’s rated for its central location, its food and its comfortable rooms.

Plan your holiday break with my guide to the Christmas markets in the UK.

Recommended Tours

This ghost and history walk takes an hour around Skipton, covering the castle, the high street and the town’s older stories, so it fits easily around a market Sunday. If you’d rather stay warm, a canal cruise is the alternative.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• The entertainment gets the warmest praise: brass and pipe bands, singers on the stage and carol singers in Victorian costume making their way through the crowd.
• With more than 100 stalls and the town’s independent shops open alongside them, there’s plenty to browse in one long walk up the street.
• Atmosphere is the word that comes up most, helped by the old stone buildings along the street and the castle and church at the top.

Common Complaints

• It gets very crowded, and the narrow paths along the cobbles make some stalls hard to reach. Get there soon after opening if you want room to browse.
• Coach parties add to the crush and the car parks fill early, so the train or bus is the easier way in.
• Lunch takes some planning. Queues build at the food stalls and cafés, the food trucks can feel pricey, and sit-down tables go quickly, so book ahead if you want one.
• Plenty of people bring their dogs, which some visitors found awkward in the crush.

Event Location

Food Specialties

• Yorkshire Pudding Wrap: A big, flat Yorkshire pudding rolled around roast meat, roast potatoes and gravy, and the one thing everyone seems to be eating.
• Pork Pie: A cold Yorkshire staple with a crisp hot-water crust, and an easy thing to eat on the move.
• Mince Pies: Little pastry pies packed with spiced dried fruit, the British Christmas staple.
• Local Ale: Yorkshire and the Dales have no shortage of breweries, so look out for a local pint.

Gifts and Souvenirs

• Yorkshire Dales Wool: Skipton’s name means sheep town in Old English, and scarves, mittens and hats in Dales wool are easy finds.
• Artisan Cheese: Skipton is in the heart of dairy country, and that means cheese. Creamy Wensleydale from Hawes, further up the Dales, tangy Yorkshire Blue or a classic cheddar all make a good start to a hamper.

Sustainability Tips

• Take the Airedale line: Northern trains run to Skipton from Leeds and Bradford Forster Square, and the station’s a short walk from the stalls, which saves fighting for a parking space.
• Ride the Dalesway 66 from Keighley: The Keighley Bus Company’s service runs into Skipton bus station, and you can buy tickets and track the bus on the Transdev Go app.