‘I went to York Christmas market – it was so busy I couldn’t get to the stalls’
On Saturday, I decided to get my festive boots on and head out to one of the UK’s Christmas markets that is consistently praised as one of the nation's very best. York’s Christmas market is spread across two location in the gorgeous old city on Parliament Street and in St Sampson’s Square as well as some stalls by the Shambles market.
Unfortunately, rather than enjoying a Saturday afternoon sipping on hot chocolate and mulled wine with my sister and her young son I was left feeling majorly disappointed. York was ranked the third best Christmas market in the UK this year, but I have to disagree.
Entering the Shambles market I spotted the usual mulled wine, handicrafts and hot dog stands. There were also some interesting stalls selling pre-made cocktails, magical potions (also booze cocktails), hats and gloves, sweet treats and more.
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Unfortunately, it was so busy that to get to the front of the queue for hotdogs would have taken at least 20 minutes. Starving ahead of meeting my sister I spotted a Greggs at the other side of the square – only to notice that the queue for that was outside the door and around the corner too!.
I gave up on a snack and headed to the main event to find my sister – and was quickly drowned in a veritable ocean of people. On Parliament Street the Christmas market huts stretch out in two huge lines in the centre of the street meaning shoppers have to crowd down each side closer to the shops to walk through.
Sadly, with the sheer number of celebrants in the street this became tricky because there was no one way system. Two huge flows of people are fighting each other to make their way down the street and getting close to the stalls? Well, you’ve got no chance especially not with a pram!
Trying to get from one place to another took an age as everyone shuffled forwards at a glacial pace trying not to get bashed by people who suddenly lurch in another direction. Several times I almost crashed into the back of people who suddenly stopped to peer at an ornament for five metres away.
I ended up meeting my sister over an hour later as she wasn’t able to find parking anywhere in York. I mean, not even at the park and ride spots – they were all completely full so she had to park a 40-minute walk outside of the centre. Fun.
There are some fantastic stalls at the market selling paper stars and lanterns, Christmas decorations, fun gists, dried flowers and bouquets and candles. Plus those who want something to eat can find a delicious range of foods from squid topped chips to bratwurst, stuffed cookies and sugar donuts.
Of course, you’re set to spend a fortune if you want to indulge. While at the market I spotted hot chocolates piled high with Biscoff, gingerbread and Oreos for £7 a cup while mulled wine cost around £5, mulled cider £5.50 and warm Baileys £4.50.
If you fancy a cookie you’ll have to shell out £3.75 while a tasty looking crumple costs £6 with each topping an extra 50p. Savoury fans can get some plain chips for £5 or opt for a burger and chips costing a whopping £12 or steak and chips for £14.
Your pockets won’t be thanking you for your trip. Thankfully, there are some redeeming factors including the huge tree lit up with twinkling lights, while Alpine tipi bar Thor’s is in place for those who want to sit inside for a drink (if you can get in) and there’s plenty of fun decor.
But, make sure that if you’re heading to the market you aim for a less busy period – weekday nights are a good shout as is the early morning. However, if you choose to go on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday from around 2pm until the market closes at 7pm be prepared to face the masses.
In my opinion, York could be a great Christmas market if they somehow limited numbers. But, it’s definitely not the best in the UK and is lacking extras like an ice skating rink, few rides or games – and to be honest it’s just too chuffing busy and I didn’t manage to try anything because I didn’t have hours to waste in queues.
We ended up leaving the centre of York and walking half an hour into the outskirts where we found a nice Thai restaurant to have dinner. Oh, because every single restaurant in and around the market is completely booked up too.
It wasn’t just me that thought so either, TikTok poster Beth, @bethcrawshow, shared a video of the market online. In the clip she said: "If you’re thinking of coming to York Christmas market on a Saturday can you just not? There’s absolutely no point."
She noted that it was almost impossible to park and that when you entered town you would face huge crowds. Her video showed a sea of people and she added: "You will not be able to go to a single food stall. I couldn’t even go to McDonald’s for a hot chocolate. If I’m honest York Christmas market isn’t even that good."
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