North Shields Christmas market set to be bigger than ever

North Shields Christmas Market will take place on Northumberland Square and the surrounding streets this weekend – December 10 and 11.

This year will see more than 70 stalls across Howard Street, many of which are small local businesses, offering a wide variety of goods including gifts, homeware, crafts and artisan produce. There will also be entertainment, live music and fairground rides.

Northumberland Square will be transformed into a festive food and drink market with a plenty of mulled wine and a wide selection of tasty street food, from local favourites such as Fat Hippo, Hadrian’s Wood Fired Pizza and Enigma Tap.

It is expected that the support will be huge with thousands of people attending the markets.

Norma Redfearn CBE, North Tyneside’s elected mayor, said: “The North Shields Christmas Market is a fantastic opportunity to get into the festive spirit this December.

"It’s always a well attended weekend by families, friends and visitors from far and wide, and we’re really excited to showcase what the newly revitalised Square and Cultural Quarter has to offer.

“We’ve linked up with local businesses to bring an excellent range of seasonal traders, food and drink stalls and entertainment to the streets of North Shields, and the recent reshaping of Northumberland Square and Howard Street lends itself to this type of event, creating a more welcoming and pleasant space for everyone to enjoy.”

The market opens at 10am on Saturday morning, with a short service in the Square, and will trade until 5pm. On Sunday the market is open 10am until 4pm.

Local schoolchildren will be singing carols throughout the day, and colourful characters will be walking about spreading festive cheer and posing for photos.

The town centre will have free car parking in all council operated pay and display bays and car parks during the market. There will be a manned traffic management around the Square, with Howard Street closed to vehicles.

For more information and to see the full programme, visit www.visitnorthtyneside.com.