Whitby Christmas Festival: pet-friendly fireworks and digital Christmas book among latest attractions

Whitby Town Council has arranged an incredible weekend of events and activities for locals and visitors to enjoy from Friday November 26 to Sunday November 28.

You will find unusual and unique gifts as well as a wide range of tasty foods for sale in the fabulous Christmas market.

In addition to this festive shopping experience, there is an array of activities to amaze and impress audiences - and it's all completely free.

On Friday night (Nov 26), on the Greatest Hits Radio Show stage, Whitby singer Alistair Griffin will entertain the crowds before assisting the Town Mayor of Whitby, Cllr Linda Wild, and the young winner of the Christmas Card Competition, eight-year-old Olivia Owen-Taylor, with a spectacular Christmas lights switch-on.

Arco, a breathtaking, free-standing, 12m high, air-filled arch, will change colour with its own light show while framing the aerial performer beneath, before local band Skandals perform their favourite Ska songs.

The market and festivities continue throughout the weekend, with a variety of events and entertainment which include:

• Local musicians and singers, choirs and ukuleles, performing at various times throughout Saturday (Nov 27)

• Large-scale digital Christmas Book installation – performed every 20 minutes from 4pm to close of the market Saturday

• Pet-friendly fireworks display on Saturday night to close the market – offering a new experience for Whitby, this unique, colourful display will be different to traditional fireworks, being much lower in the sky, but launched from the east cliff. Expect action and fun, without the noise. The best place to view this display will be from the festival site.

• Interactive Living Snow Globe will be performing periodically throughout Sunday (Nov 28)

• Festive story-telling activities with the Literacy Trust

• Children’s entertainer and fairground rides throughout the weekend

• Santa and helpers, in a beautiful sleigh, will be available to chat, for family photographs and selfies, throughout the weekend.

All the activities are free. Keep checking the Whitby Christmas Festival Facebook page for updates.

This year for the first time, Whitby will also be installing a full-size covered real ice rink.

The Whitby Winter Festival is a brand-new family focused festival running from November 26 to March 30.

The festival has been put together by the newly-formed Welcome to Whitby (WTW), a community-based company that was established to help Whitby and all the local businesses bounce back after the pandemic.

The centerpiece of the festival is a full sized (10m x 14m) real ice-skating rink, which will be under the cover of a marquee on Endeavour Wharf, in the centre of Whitby for around six weeks over the festive period.

It's hoped that the ice rink will be a popular attraction to all, bringing in an estimated 6,000 skaters throughout the festival.

With a capacity of 50 skaters, it will be the place to get your Christmas fun fix this winter season - book tickets here.