- Christmas
- 13th Nov 2025
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Your ultimate guide to Christmas markets, craft events and food stalls for 2025
Forget the treadmill and the to-do lists – December in the North East is all about wrapping up warm, grabbing a festive tipple, and pretending “Christmas shopping” is code for eating your body weight in Yorkshire pudding wraps.
Whether you’re there for the brownies, a browse through the region’s best indie makers, or fancy getting a bit crafty, there’s a market (and a mulled wine) with your name on it.
Here’s where to get your festive fix this year – no Scrooges allowed.
Newcastle Christmas Market
Where: Grey Street & Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
When: 15th November – 23rd December
Starting off strong! The city centre transforms into a glittering festive hub packed with tunes from local musicians, artisan gifts, and food stalls. Think bratwurst, brownies, and locally-made candles galore. Pro tip:visit midweek to skip the queues and soak up the lights when the city’s at its sparkliest.
Jesmond Dene House Christmas Market
Where: Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle upon Tyne
When: 30th November
Kick off your Christmas shopping in style at Jesmond Dene House’s elegant festive market, where boutique stalls showcase the best of local food, drink, crafts and gifts. With a complimentary mulled wine or mocktail in hand and twinkling lights all around, it’s the perfect mix of luxury and local charm. It’s festive shopping, but with class (and central heating).
Forage Christmas Market
Where: Rigg & Furrow, Acklington Park Farm
When: 6th December – 7th December
The Forage Christmas Market returns to Rigg & Furrow Farm in Acklington, bringing over 50 local makers, designers and food vendors to its cosy barn setting. Expect artisan gifts, festive treats and creative finds, plus craft beer from the Rigg & Furrow taproom and street food from local favourites. Entry is just £1, with proceeds supporting Amble Food Bank.
Gateshead Christmas Craft Fair
Where: Apse & Spire Venue, Gateshead
When: 6th December
If you’re looking to dodge the high-street chaos, but still shop somewhere that actually feels festive, the Gateshead Christmas Craft Fair is a must. Packed with local creatives selling everything from handcrafted homeware to small-batch gins and sweet treats, it’s the kind of place where every stall has a story. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and just the right side of Christmassy.
Blackfriars Christmas Market
Where: Blackfriars, Newcastle upon Tyne
When: 6th December – 7th December
One of Newcastle’s most charming festive weekends is back – and this year, it’s bigger than ever. Wander through the historic cloisters and banquet hall as local traders serve up lush food, craft spirits and handmade gifts, all to the sound of live carols and the smell of mulled wine in the air. With a brand-new Santa’s Grotto and street food from Blackfriars’ own kitchen, this is Christmas market perfection in the heart of the city.
Brancepeth Castle Christmas Craft Fair
Where: Brancepeth Castle, Durham
When: 28th November – 30th November
If you like your Christmas shopping with a touch of grandeur, Brancepeth Castle has you covered. The historic halls will be filled with more than 70 stalls of handmade crafts, art, and festive treats to suit all tastes. It’s the perfect place to find something special (and feel a little bit fancy while you do).
Ad Gefrin’s Yule Gaderung
Where: Ad Gefrin, Northumberland
When: 28th November – 30th November
Step back in time for a Northumbrian Christmas like no other as Ad Gefrin revives the ancient Yule traditions with fire, feasting and folklore. Expect a torch-lit parade led by a six-metre straw goat (yes, really), live music from Kathryn Tickell OBE and Si King’s King Cush Band, plus cookery demos, craft markets and plenty of local cheer. It’s a wild, wonderful celebration of the season – the North East way.
The Bowes Museum’s Winter Market
Where: The Bowes Museum, County Durham
When: 12th December – 14th December
Each year, The Bowes Museum turns into a festive dreamscape, with over 100 stalls of artists, designers, and food producers taking over its grand halls and gardens. Think twinkling lights across the museum’s terrace and a buzzing creative energy, it’s a market that feels as elegant as its setting – well worth the trip.
Durham Christmas Festival 2025
Where: Across Durham City Centre
When: 5th December – 7th December
For one weekend, Durham turns into a storybook scene – cobbled streets lined with shining stalls, carols echoing through the Cathedral, and the scent of winter spices in the air. From the artisan markets to the lantern-lit parade winding through the historic city, it’s festive magic with that unmistakable Durham charm.
Christmas Wreath Workshops
Where: South Causey Inn, County Durham
When: 24th November – 18th December
Swap the shopping crowds for ribbons, greenery and a glass of fizz at South Causey Inn’s cosy wreath-making workshops. Guided by expert florists in the rustic Beamish Barn, you’ll craft your own masterpiece to take home – all while soaking up serious festive feels. A perfect way to kick off Christmas, hands-on and happily low-stress.
Spanish City Christmas Market 2025
Where: Spanish City, Whitley Bay
When: 21st November – 23rd November
Swap shopping-mall chaos for coastal charm at the Spanish City’s annual Christmas Fair – three days of unique gifts, live tunes and festive bites beneath the iconic seaside dome. With tickets starting early at just £3 and a huge mix of makers and treats to discover, this seaside stop is your perfect first festive escape for 2025.
Hexham Christmas Market
Where: Hexham Market Place & Hexham Abbey, Northumberland
When: 13th December
It’s one of the North East’s most popular festive traditions – Hexham’s Christmas Market has become a must-visit each year for local crafts, great food and brilliant atmosphere. Wander the stalls up toward the Abbey while the lights come on and soak up why this little market in a historic town keeps pulling in the crowds. Don’t just shop, make an afternoon of it: pop into a cosy café, explore the medieval lanes and treat yourself to something special.
Festive Afternoon Tea
Where: The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick
When: 28th November – 4th January
Not exactly a market stop, but a festive feast all the same – dive into seasonal sandwiches, scones and sweet treats in the Potting Shed of The Treehouse, surrounded by the garden’s twinkling lights and atmospheric winter greenery. From turkey and cranberry rolls to rum-truffle tarts and specialty teas, this indulgent experience in a beautiful setting is a must-visit food moment before the Christmas rush.
Bishop Auckland’s Christmas Town
Where: Bishop Auckland Town Centre
When: 4th December – 7th December
Bishop Auckland’s Christmas Town returns for its fifth year, transforming the historic market town with festive markets, fairground rides, live music, street food, ice skating, and Santa’s Grotto, plus a brand-new Christmas parade by Jack Drum Arts. Free to attend with optional passes for premium attractions, this magical event welcomes families to celebrate Christmas in true County Durham style.
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