Stall applications for the 5 and 6 December market close at the end of October. Two-day pitches run £310 to £360, gold has sold out and Chamber members get 25% off.

Traders who want a stall at this year’s Knaresborough Christmas Market have until the end of October to apply, and the best pitches have already gone. Organisers say the gold stalls are sold out, with silver and bronze still available.

The market runs on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, 10am to 5pm both days, centred on the historic Market Place.

What a pitch costs

The traders’ information sheet sets the 2026 prices. Every pitch is one 10ft by 4ft market stall with a roof cover and one electric light. There is no electrical power supplied.

Stall type Two days One day
Bronze, perimeter position £310.00 £165.00
Silver or blue, central position £340.00 £180.00
Gold, prime position £360.00 Not available

Hot food is priced on application and depends on stall size, but those pitches are not open to general applications this year. Organisers say hot food places are by invitation only.

Members of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade get 25% off the standard full price. Local charities are welcome to apply but are limited to one stall each in 2026.

What applicants have to provide

Four things are required before an application can be processed:

  • a completed online application form, submitted through the booking platform
  • a site risk assessment form
  • a public liability certificate for no less than £5 million of cover
  • PAT, gas engineer and food hygiene certificates where they apply

Payment is due in full within 14 days of the organisers confirming a booking. If there is no response in that time, the pitch goes to another applicant. Positions are decided by the organisers, and traders cannot move stalls themselves once they are set out.

Demand outstrips space, so applications are ranked. The published criteria are:

  • a variety of goods and produce
  • original art and crafts or hand-crafted goods
  • products of local and regional excellence
  • stalls that add to the seasonal atmosphere
  • traders who have attended the event before
  • new and innovative stalls

Organisers say they can refuse an application without giving a reason.

Tighter security this year

The information sheet flags a change driven by Martyn’s Law, the counter-terrorism legislation covering public venues and events. Traders and event staff are told they must immediately follow instructions from police or security if an incident happens. Additional safety barriers will be put up during opening hours, and there can be no vehicle movements at all while the market is trading. No vehicles are allowed back into the market area before 5pm on the Sunday.

Twenty-four hour security staff will be on site, though the terms make clear that traders remain responsible for their own stock and staff. A park and ride is provided for stallholders because of congestion and limited town centre parking, and the organisers will not cover parking fines for anyone who parks elsewhere.

The market holds the event licences from North Yorkshire Council under the Licensing Act 2003. Individual traders are told specifically not to apply for a Temporary Event Notice of their own.

Who runs it

The market is run by a voluntary committee formed in 2007, after the market’s future came under threat. It brought together representatives of Knaresborough and District Chamber, Knaresborough Lions Club and the Rotary Club of Knaresborough. It describes itself as a not-for-profit enterprise.

What it means for you

If you are a trader, the deadline is the end of October and the premium positions have already gone, so applying late now means a perimeter pitch or none. Budget £310 for the cheapest two-day stall, or £165 for a single Saturday, and factor in the £5m public liability cover before you apply. Chamber of Trade members should say so on the application to claim the 25% discount rather than assume it is applied automatically.

If you are visiting, put 5 and 6 December in the diary. There is a free park and ride at GSPK on Manse Lane, HG5 8LF. The firework finale goes off over the viaduct at 4.30pm on the Sunday, best seen from the Castle top or along the riverside. Dog owners should note it lasts around ten minutes.

Organisers also give one practical warning: bring cash. Only two cash machines are left in the town centre, with a third out by the park and ride:

  • Sainsbury’s Local, by the bus station
  • Tesco Express, on the High Street
  • the Co-op petrol station on Manse Lane, HG5 8LH (not in the centre)

Most stalls and shops take cards. The machines can run out over a busy weekend, and the banking hub will not be open.

Questions about a stall go to info@knaresboroughchristmasmarket.co.uk or 07364 192411. If you are planning the day out, our guide to things to do in Harrogate covers the wider area.

Sources