December in Lancashire and Yorkshire – Christmas Markets, Cold Nights, and What People Actually Do Indoors
by Northern Life
Winter hits different in the North of England, and Lancashire and Yorkshire don’t just get cold – they get really busy. December brings packed market squares, brass bands in town centres, and thousands of people braving the chill for mulled wine and handmade gifts. But once the sun sets around 4 pm, screens light up living rooms across both counties.
Shorter Days Mean Longer Screen Time
The reality of December in the UK is that adults spend around 5 hours and 36 minutes online every day, and during winter, that number climbs even higher. People stream films, scroll social media, and game well into the night while the weather stays miserable outside. British households spent £6.97 billion on gaming subscriptions and downloads this past year, up nearly 12% from the previous year.
Online gambling has grown alongside other online pastimes. More players now use non gamstop casinos when they want options beyond standard UK platforms, and these sites pull in users with more diverse welcome bonuses, same-day withdrawals, and higher deposit limits than most domestic operators allow. For plenty of people, it’s become a regular part of winter evenings at home.
Podcasts also take the lead, with more than a fifth of UK adults tuning in weekly to entertainment and comedy shows. Smart speakers now handle 26% of home audio listening, mostly running as background noise while people cook dinner or wrap presents.
York’s Christmas Market Turns 30 This Year
Yorkshire’s flagship festive event hit a milestone in 2025 when York’s St Nicholas Fair celebrated its 30th year running from November 13th through December 21st. Alpine chalets lined Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, with more than 80% of traders coming from Yorkshire itself. Local cheese, handmade candles, and artisan chocolates filled the stalls as the market pushed regional products hard.
Malton hosted its free two-day Christmas Festival on December 6th and 7th, and the market square was filled with street food vendors, brass bands, and gift stalls throughout the weekend. Organisers added a festive land train circling the area, along with an interactive Santa show with Emerald the Elf for £5 per child.
Sheffield’s Christmas Market expanded to 50 cabins this year after starting with just a handful, and the Sleigh Bar alongside the traditional German sausage grill anchored the whole setup. Harrogate ran its Christmas Fayre from December 5th to 14th with European-inspired stalls, while Skipton drew crowds on December 7th and 14th for its high street market.
Lancashire Puts on Its Own Show
Blackpool went big with its seasonal offerings this year. Christmas by the Sea turned the Festival Headland into a proper winter destination with a free outdoor skating rink, simulated snowfall, and rows of festive chalets. The town extended its famous illuminations through January 4th, when they usually shut down much earlier, and that decision alone brought some extra visitors during otherwise quiet weeks.
Lancaster brought back its ice rink in Dalton Square, and the award-winning Lancaster on Ice event included curling sessions besides the main skating attraction. Preston launched Fire Garden in Avenham and Miller Parks, running through December 24th, featuring Walk the Plank-designed fire installations and glowing walkways that lit up the green spaces after dark.
Smaller towns got involved as well. Wesham Fire Station held a Christmas market on December 7th, where local firefighters raised money for charity. Santa visits cost £10 per child, including a present and a hot dog. Whalley’s Artisan Festive Market on December 1st packed over 40 stalls into a single afternoon.
Traditional Markets Still Bring Crowds Despite Digital Alternatives
The numbers tell an interesting story about how people split their time. A third of UK adults now say the internet benefits society, down from 40% last year, and people seem to enjoy digital convenience while questioning how much time they actually spend online.
Families visit Sheffield’s market in the afternoon and grab photos for Instagram, then spend the evening streaming Christmas films from their sofas. Someone browses Malton’s food stalls and buys local gin, then scrolls through online deals once they get home. The two habits don’t compete, but coexist pretty naturally.
Bradford’s Darley Street Market ran some creative workshops and live music throughout December, and Knaresborough held its festive weekend on December 6th and 7th with a firework finale at 4:30 pm on Sunday. Such events survive because they have something no app can replicate, from cold air and live brass bands to the smell of roasting chestnuts.
The Final Thoughts
Lancashire and Yorkshire keep their December customs alive without much fuss. The markets return every year, the ice rinks open on schedule, and brass bands still play carols in town squares across both counties. But the hours between those outings belong to streaming services, social feeds, and online gaming platforms.
That’s just how winter works in the North now, with people bundling up for the Christmas market before heading home to spend the evening online. Both counties have figured out that balance, and December gives them plenty of chances to enjoy it.