Little Bird Artisan Market
– Discover and shop unique handmade goods from local artisans.
– Enjoy delicious food and drinks from local vendors.
– Engage with the community in a vibrant and friendly atmosphere.
– Meet the makers and learn about their crafts.
Come support local artisans, find unique treasures, and enjoy a wonderful day out with family and friends at the Little Bird Artisan Market!
Little Bird Artisan Market will be on Ripon Market Square on Sunday 26th May for a day of unique shopping, community engagement, and delightful experiences. Each market runs from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm unless otherwise noted.
May 2024 Sunday, 26th
June 2024: Sunday, 23rd
July 2024: Sunday, 7th
August 2024: Sunday, 25th
September 2024: Sunday, 22nd
October 2024: Thursday, 24th
November 2024: Sunday, 24th
December 2024: Sunday, 22nd (time to be confirmed)
Bank Holiday weekend activities for children at Ripon museums
Ripon Museums are offering a variety of engaging activities for families over the Bank Holiday weekend. With a focus on a Victorian theme, children can immerse themselves in history through a range of interactive experiences.
**Activities include:**
1. **Victorian Dress-Up and Baking:** Children can don Victorian costumes and try their hand at baking, getting a taste of life in the 19th century.
2. **Lawn Games:** Traditional Victorian games will be available for children to play on the museum’s lawns, providing a fun and active way to engage with history.
3. **Art and Craft Activities:** Creative sessions where children can participate in various art and craft projects, all themed around Victorian times.
**Special Museum Events:**
1. **Courthouse Museum:** Children are invited to dress up and learn about the judicial system of the Victorian era. They can explore the courtroom, understand the types of crimes that were prevalent, and what might have led individuals to end up in court.
2. **Prison & Police Museum:** The museum offers a unique activity where children can have fun with finger printing, learning about early forensic methods used by Victorian police.
These activities not only provide entertainment but also an educational insight into Victorian life, law, and order, making the Ripon Museums an enriching destination for families this Bank Holiday weekend.
Mother’s Day at Grantley Hall – 10th March 2024
Ripon is lucky enough to be neighbour to the stunning Grantley Hall Hotel. There is a particularly special event on Sunday 10th March from 12 until 17:00 for mums. Grantly Hall are hosting live music and mums will be given a gift to take home after a lavish lunch in the Grantley Suite. Timings for lunch bookings are between 12:00 and 14:30. The cost per person is £95 with children welcome at discounted prices. Book by telephone 01765 620070 or by emailing: events@grantleyhall.co.uk.
Grantly Hall has the Three Graces Spa and a choice of packages available, including dining experiences, that are just the perfect gift for spoiling mum.
George Egg: Set Menu at Ripon Arts Hub
Thursday 21st March 2024 at 7:00PM, Tickets are £15 each – Ripon Operatic Hall also Ripon Arts Hub, next to the One Eyed Rat pub, on Allhallowgate, Ripon
As an introduction to the 2024 Ripon Theatre Festival taking place in July,George Egg will be entertaining the audience while cooking three meals of his own original concoction. Don’t expect the usual! Admission includes a welcome glass of bubbly, and nibbles, courtesy of Valentino’s Ristorante.
“George Egg has toured three shows (‘Anarchist Cook’, ‘DIY Chef’ and ‘Movable Feast’) and cooked over a thousand dishes, all of them in front of a live audience, none of them with a kitchen.” https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ripon-theatre-festival/george-egg-set-menu/2024-03-21/19:00/t-jzmjdgn
Ripon Food Tour – Taste and Discover Ripon with Yorkshire Appetite and Ripon BID
Meeting at the Obelisk in the market place at 11am on Wednesdays (check the website for any updates), a well-informed guide will take you on a tour of Ripon, stopping to sample quality fare at five local cafes and restaurants. These are carefully chosen reputable independent businesses dedicated to serving delicious food and to creating a warm and welcoming reception.
Your guide will entertain with you with stories and bestow you with interesting historical knowledge of our fantastic city.
The cost of the tour is £65. To join the tour next week or to book a future Wednesday date, go onto the website, choose your date and click on it at https://www.yorkshireappetite.com/ripon-food-toura83a444d
Ripon Arts Hub Cinema Nights
Sunday 17th December 2023, 14:30 – 22:00
Ripon pop up Christmas cinema event brings the magic of two Christmas
favourites to the big screen in Ripon. On Sunday 17th December, families can enjoy perennial classics Elf at 2.30pm and Love Actually at 7.30pm in the beautiful 100-seat theatre on Allhallowgate, close to Ripon centre, with tickets costing £6 for adults and £4 for children.
Seasonal treats, popcorn and a licensed bar will be available during the event. Tickets can be purchased via TicketSource at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/49-allhallowgate/ripon-arts-hub
Between Friday 15th and Sunday 17th December there are many activities going on, making it an excellent time to visit Ripon.
Illuminated Winter Wonderland Fri 15th – Sun 17th December, Ripon Spa Gardens 2pm – 8pm.
This is a popular and well-attended event for bringing the community together. Several local groups and organisations make this possible – the knitters, schools, care homes, Brownies, Guides, Evolve College, and many others have made decorations. Illuminations are from A V Matrix. Together they create a colourful and magical place at Ripon Spa Gardens.
Ripon Scenic Cruises 16th and 17th December
Mulled wine, hot chocolate, brownies, mince pies, and a half hour cruise on Ripon Canal. What’s not to like? There will be a Local Makers Market and a firepit at the canal basin. 70 tickets are available each day. Book online with Ripon Scenic Cruises or visit their Facebook page for more information.
Giant Snow Globe Thursday 14th – Sun 17th December
A festive photo opportunity to have with friends and family. Climb into the winter scene and say ‘cheese’! This is a free event.
The snow globe will be at the following locations from 1pm to 7pm:
14 December – The Ripon Inn, Park Street
15 December – Ripon Cathedral forecourt, Minster Road
16 December – Ripon Market Square
17 December – Ripon Market Square
While you are in Ripon, don’t forget to visit the market square any night of the week at 9pm to see the Hornblower and hear more about the city’s history.
This weekend (3rd December) and on 9th and 23rd December, meet the rangers at St Mary’s Church on the top of the hill at 11am to see the deer being fed. You’ll see the Red, Sika and Fallow deer up close and be able to ask questions about them.
Photo by Nathan Gennery
So, what is there to do in Ripon this week? Well, it is all very festive. Something for everyone, starting with the kids…
Ripon Museums Christmas Tree Trail, starting on Friday 1st December to Saturday 6th January
Follow the trail, collect stars, enter the plant names you discover into the trail sheet and discover eco-friendly Christmas decorations made at the Workhouse Museum. Pick up a trail sheet from Ripon Bid Office (8 Westgate) or from the Greenhouse (11 North Street).
Music and Lights on Saturdays and Sundays at Fountains Abbey until 31st December
Seasonal music and rainbow lighting. Bands and choirs will be performing in the cellarium from 2pm – 3pm. Last entry at 4pm. Entry is included in the usual admission. See their website for more information. The weather forecast this week is c-c-cold. Wrap up warm and enjoy the warming food and drinks in the cafés!
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Ripon Cathedral, Wednesday 29th November – 7:30pm
This timeless classic as well as Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik and Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, all to be enjoyed by candlelight. Tickets are £19 from Ripon Cathedral website. The Piccadilly Sinfonietta will treat you to a feast of classical masterpieces with outstanding performances from exceptional musicians!
Late night Shopping until 8pm. Thursday 30th November
An opportunity for those that don’t normally have a chance to shop during the day and to see the Christmas lights in all their glory!
Festive Champagne Lunch, Grantley Hall, Saturday 2nd December – noon until 4pm
There will be a delectable 3-course lunch created by the hall’s expert chefs, half a bottle of Veuve Yellow Label Champagne, with a DJ and saxophonist to set the mood. Book via the Grantly Hall website.
Fountains Abbey in November and December
On the run up to Christmas, a fresh and reviving walk around Fountains Abbey might be just the thing and, while you are there, how about taking in one of the several events taking place? For sustenance, there is a choice of 3 places to eat and drink, where you can fill up on snacks or something more substantial.
Organised tours include:
Mill tour
Bread, beer and wool tour
Garden and Abbey tour
Abbey tour
‘Music and Lights’ choral performances under rainbow lighting in the abbey cellarium.
Carols by Candlelight on Sunday 3rd and 10th December from 3pm until 4pm (booking is highly recommended for this popular event).
Feeding of the Deer at St Mary’s Church.
See more details via the link https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden/events
Christmas Lights Switch On – Saturday 18th November 1pm – 6pm
This year the Ripon City Council Christmas Tree switch-on takes place on Saturday 18th November. There’s something for everyone, so don’t forget to add it to your calendar! Ripon marketplace will be buzzing with activity (if last year is anything to go by) and, obviously, Santa will be appearing in his sleigh.
The fun starts at 1pm with fairground rides and Santa in attendance until 4:30pm. Come along and meet his reindeer in real life!
From 3pm until 6pm there will be live music with singing and dancing bands X’ELLE and BOYS BEYOND performing hits from over the decades, as well as other family-focused entertainment
The lights on the magnificent Christmas tree standing opposite the Town Hall steps, and the magical, sparkling illuminations in and around the city centre, will be switched on at 5pm.
All-in-all, we are expecting it be very a lively event.
Taster Tour at the Ripon Workhouse – Sunday 12th November at 11:30am
This Sunday from 11:30am, a guided tour by one of the museums experts will share with you a vision of what it was really like to live and work in Ripon Workhouse back in the 18th, 19th and even 20th century. It was a hard option for people who could not support themselves financially. Here at Ripon Workhouse, they were offered accommodation and employment.
The poor would be given a uniform, and their clothes were put into storage. They would be subjected to a supervised bath in disinfected to rid them of any disease and then undergo a medical examination.
Women, men, and children were separated. The able-bodied residents spent their days breaking up rocks that would be used to build roads. Women were put to task in the garden, kitchen, laundry or given general cleaning duties. The workhouse was a place that the residence rarely came out of.
Did you know that the grandmother of Author Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and started her life in Ripon Workhouse?
Workhouses were abolished by 1930 when the responsibility of welfare moved from the guardians to the local authorities, later to develop into a National Health Service.
https://riponmuseums.co.uk/workhouse-museum-garden/: What’s OnRegular Events in November
If you are visiting Ripon and are wondering what to do while you are here (or if you are a resident too, of course) there’s something for everyone. Here’s a taster of what’s on and where. Please check directly with the venue or visit their Facebook page for the dates.
Open Mic Night at So! Bar & Eats in the Old Market Square – every 2 weeks on a Thursday evening from 8pm.
Literary Lunch – Manchega on Duck Hill,1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month – Ripon- 12.30pm. Manchega Chef Chris prepares fabulous lunches tailored to suit the book club.
Ripon Wilfrid’s Folk Club – 2nd Friday of the month – Singaround at 7:30pm. Guest night is the last Friday of the month, also at 7:30pm. Wilfred’s Community Centre.
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Ripon Community House – every other Wednesday – 12.00pm – 2.00pm. A selection of low cost and healthy and delicious meals freshly made each week. £3 per basket.
Hilarity Bites at Ripon Arts Hub – Comedy nights by some of the best comedians around. 1st Tuesday of each month. On 5th December it will be Alun Cochrane and Clayton Jones. Tickets are available on the website of the same name.
Ripon Cathedral Christmas Fair 2023
9:30am – 4:30pm on 24th and 25th November 2023
Is it really Christmas in just a few weeks? Ripon Cathedral Christmas Fair could be just the place to buy some of your Christmas gifts and decorations. There will be over 100 stalls selling festive decorations, handmade crafts, clothing, bags, accessories, gifts, toiletries, jewellery, candles, home furnishings and more, as well as a wide selection of food and drink operators! Something for everyone!
You can expect a wonderful festive atmosphere in the Cathedral, with music playing and plenty of choice of refreshments – mulled wine, hot turkey sandwiches, mince pies, and homemade cakes, to mention just a few.
Online entry Tickets are £6.13 including the booking fee. Under 16’s are free. https://riponcathedral.org.uk/events/christmas-food-gift-fair/ Provided tickets are still available on the day, entry on the door will be £5.
As an extra bonus, complimentary Park and Ride services will be available from Ripon City Golf Club on Friday 24th November and Addictive X at College Business Park, Kearsley Road on Saturday 25th November.
