The award-winning Bath Christmas Market will return this year from 28th November to 15th December, with over 30 brand new stallholders from Bath and the surrounding area.
Milsom Street during last year’s event | Photo © Bath Christmas Market
91% of the 151 chalets lining the cobbled streets by Thermae Bath Spa, the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey, as well as Milsom Street, will be independent businesses from the South West region.
New Bond Street will also be closed off to traffic this year and will feature a dedicated entertainment stage with a piano, decorated by local school children to encourage impromptu Christmas singsongs.
Voluminous floral wreaths will decorate key points around the Market.
Shopping highlights from local businesses include:
- Sleepy Doe – a Bath-based brand specialising in small, whimsical and organic sleepwear for mother and child.
- Beckford’s of Bath –a range of rums named after famous Bath resident William Beckford.
- Bath Chocolate Company – Bath’s very own bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers.
- Designers in the Making – a collective of Bath Spa School of Design Textiles for Fashion and Interiors students who have made beautiful unique pieces.
- Wylde Jewellers – a selection of elegant silver, gold and platinum jewellery from locally-renowned jeweller Nicholas Wylde
- Jason Dorely-Brown Images – a collection of black and white and colour prints of Bath’s landscapes.
Sustainability will once again be at the heart of Bath Christmas Market. As well as aiming to reduce single-use plastic as far as possible, a last-mile delivery scheme will be implemented where stallholders will be encouraged to keep stock in dedicated areas within the Market, which will be transported by electric cage vehicles reducing car journeys.
For the first time, the Market will have a dedicated vegan and vegetarian food chalet, water re-fill points with be highlighted and visitors will be encouraged to come to the Market by public transport.
A full programme of festive music and performers will be keeping shoppers entertained. Many of the choirs and groups singing are from Bath, such as Bath Dance College, who use the money they collect to fund their annual production.
Visit Bath, organisers of the Market which is now in its 19th year, have decided to have two charity chalets, doubling the number of charities it supports to 36, due to the overwhelming number of charity applications it received.
Kathryn Davis, Interim CEO, Visit Bath said: “We are proud that Bath Christmas Market showcases so many local businesses that produce high-quality, individually crafted gifts and products which you cannot purchase in stores or will have difficulty finding online.
“We receive more than double the applicants for the stalls we have, so the selection process is very strict.
“We are also delighted to be doubling our support of local charities as well as leading in sustainability best practices for large events in the South West.”
