There are around 36 days to go (depending on when you read this) until York Christmas Market once again takes over the city centre, with its cute chalets filled with local crafts, artisan products, delicious food, and festive drinks. All set against a backdrop of twinkling lights.
Although many are excited for its return, the market has faced criticism over the years for overcrowding and a lack of accessibility. However, organisers have announced a series of changes for this year’s event.
Officials have confirmed that York Christmas Market, which will return to Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square between 13 November and 21 December, will be made more accessible. Plans include reducing the number of chalets by seven — with three being removed from St Sampson’s Square — and relocating food stalls to widen walkways and improve pedestrian flow, according to the BBC.
A block of chalets at the bottom of Parliament Street is also set to be moved to increase the walkway width by up to 29 feet. Other changes by Make It York, the city’s tourism board, include relocating the market’s Treehouse from St Sampson’s Square and removing the traditional carousel from King’s Square to help minimise crowd build-ups and bottlenecks, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A survey following last year’s market found that nearly a third of visitors felt the event was overcrowded, while more than a fifth said it should be more spread out.
The changes announced by Make It York follow growing concerns raised about congestion and accessibility during last year’s festivities.
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