Why not use this festive season as an excuse to explore some of what happens in and around Leeds. The Hype has rounded up the best of what Yorkshire has to offer this December.
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is holding afternoon Christmas concerts on Saturday the 1st and 8th December in their picturesque grounds. Weave in and out of the Henry Moore sculptures to the tunes of your favourite Christmas carols! Or head up to Strid Wood car park near Bolton Abbey to find your Christmas tree at their Christmas tree sale from 8th to the 21st December. On your way back from Bolton Abby make a short detour to Grassington’s Dickensian Christmas Festival just north of Skipton to find some decorations for your newly acquired tree. The market is open on the 1st, 8th & 15th December. Or, slightly further a field, try the renowned St Nicholas Fayre in York, open the first weekend of December. Leeds’ own German Christmas Market is in Millennium square from Friday 16th November to Thursday 20th December, where you can always find an excuse to head into the beer tent via the crepe stand!
There is nothing more magical that going to the theatre at Christmas. Whether you want to sit back and enjoy the elegance of the ballet or have a few laughs at the pantomime dame, there is something for you around Leeds this festive season. The Nutcracker ballet is playing at the Grand Theatre Leeds from the 27th November to the 8th December. The West Yorkshire Playhouse are delving into the fairy tale realm of Narnia on the 24th November. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is returning to Leeds by popular demand after its greatly acclaimed run three years ago. Buy your tickets quick because some nights have already sold out. If it is a pantomime you are after, Jack and the Beanstalk is at The Carriageworks (5th December to 1st January) and City Varieties are putting on Cinderella (12th December to 13th January).
Leeds Town Hall are entering into the Christmas spirit with a Gala Christmas Concert with Sir Willard White and the Orchestra of Opera North on the evening of 16th December. And the following day the Sellers International Band is giving a free lunchtime concert of a few Christmas classics. Haworth, west of Leeds, is creating its own little bit of Christmas magic with a torchlight procession and carols, complete with brass band and choirs, on the 8th and 9th December 2007. Gather at the bottom of Main Street ready for the procession the Victorian cobbled streets of Haworth by torchlight. A traditional carol service at St Michael’s Church brings the evening to a close.
Get in touch with your inner child with The Christmas Adventure at Stockeld Park, Wetherby, northeast of Leeds. The Christmas Adventure is winter fun at its nostalgic best. From 30th October until the end of January, you can enjoy a host of magical festive activities. Burn a few calories prior to the Christmas splurge ice-skating, or try cross-country skiing on the UK’s only Nordic ski trail. Stroll through the Enchanted Wood complete with mystical figures and lose yourself in the vast Snowflake Maze. At the end of the day drop your Christmas wish list in with Father Christmas in his grotto. Entry is free, for opening times and activity charges go to www.thechristmasadventure.com.
If all of these treats don’t get you in the festive mood, then you must be closely related to Ebenezer Scrooge. The Hype’s only concern is how to fit all of this festive cheer into one December!
