York is a wonderful place to visit at any time of year, but really comes into to own at Christmas when it really sparkles (literally!). Plans have been pared down for this year, but you can still have a walk around York, enjoy the Christmas lights and maybe even treat the family to a hot chocolate or mulled wine.

From 2nd December until 10th January (excluding bank holidays), there will be a variety of local street food vendors spread out on Parliament Street serving seasonal food, mulled wine and hot chocolate. Traders will include KREP and Shambles Kitchen (who can also be found on the Shambles Market Food Court), The Treehouse, Vines Mulled wine and The Cattle Shed (who can also be found on Coppergate).  Children (and adults!) can enjoy a ride on the vintage carousel which will be operating throughout the festive period. Festive roaming street performers will also be in the city centre on the weekends of the 12th -13th  and 19th -20th December, moving around key areas of the city to create a lovely experience for visitors.

A York Quest augmented reality app is also being launched by the York BID with co-funding from Make It York this week. The app features a Santa search, encouraging families to find seven Christmas characters who have taken up residence on York’s historic streets. They can then take a fun photo with the character and share on social media. The York Quest app is available from Thursday, December 3 on Google Play Store or App Store.