Christmas Markets in Lancashire 2026

In 2026 the Artisan Christmas Markets at Holden Clough Nurseries open first, on five weekends: Ivy on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, Mistletoe on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, Fir on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, Holly on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, and Berry on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December. Lancaster Christmas Market is on from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November, the Samlesbury Hall Christmas Fair Weekend on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, and the CancerCare Christmas Fair at Leighton Hall on Wednesday 2 December. Each market's card shows the dates.

At some, on a lead. Holden Clough Nurseries welcomes dogs on a short lead at all times, and well-behaved dogs can also go into The Reading Room. Lancaster Christmas Market is dog-friendly, and dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. Samlesbury Hall welcomes well-behaved dogs on the outdoor grounds and permits only assistance dogs within the Hall itself; its Garden Room Eatery is dog-friendly. At Leighton Hall assistance dogs are welcome and a water bowl can be provided, and other dogs are not allowed in the grounds and gardens, though they are welcome on leads in the parkland and on public footpaths.

All five of the Artisan Christmas Markets at Holden Clough Nurseries are free to enter, and so is the Samlesbury Hall Christmas Fair Weekend. Entry to the CancerCare Christmas Fair at Leighton Hall is £5, which includes a hot drink and a mince pie, and every penny the fair makes goes to CancerCare. Lancaster Christmas Market has not published an entry price.

Yes, at all four. Holden Clough has plenty of parking on site. Lancaster has free parking in the event car park at the auction mart, a five-minute walk from the market, and Lancaster Leisure Park has spaces closer, which visitors who can walk are asked to leave for people who need them. Samlesbury Hall's car park holds up to 250 cars and is about a quarter of a mile from the main Hall entrance, with a limited number of Blue Badge spaces, which the Hall warns are very limited on event days. At Leighton Hall parking is about 100 metres from the front door, with the car park on grass, and Blue Badge holders can park as near the front door as possible, on the terrace.

The Holden Clough markets run from 9am to 5pm on the Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on the Sunday, except Ivy, where Saturday opens at 10am. Lancaster Christmas Market opens at 3pm on Friday 27 November and at 12 noon on Saturday 28 November, and on Sunday 29 November it is open from 12 noon to 6pm; the bar is open from 12 noon to 10pm each day. The Samlesbury Hall Christmas Fair Weekend is open from 10am to 4pm on both days, and the CancerCare Christmas Fair at Leighton Hall from 10am to 2pm.

Lancaster Christmas Market is about 4 miles from the M6 at junction 33 or 34, and brown signs lead to Lancaster Leisure Park. Samlesbury Hall is just 3 minutes from the M6, and it says the number 59 bus runs every 30 minutes. Leighton Hall is a 10-minute drive from the M6 at junction 35 and is signposted with brown tourism signs. Without a car, travel to Carnforth station, then take either the 5-minute train ride or the number 51 bus from central Carnforth to Silverdale station; from there it is a walk of about 1.5 miles.

Yes, at all four. The Reading Room at Holden Clough Nurseries serves breakfast and brunch all day, with lunches, and some stallholders sell edible treats. Lancaster Christmas Market has street food and a festive drinks trailer serving wine, spirits, mulled wine and cocktails. At Samlesbury Hall the Garden Room Eatery is open every day from 9am to 4pm except Mondays and launches its Christmas Menu that weekend, and Maria's Tea Room & Gift Shop has treats on offer. A hot drink and a mince pie come with the ticket at Leighton Hall, to enjoy in the conservatory.

It varies from market to market. At Holden Clough Nurseries most of the nursery is reached by gravel paths, which wheelchairs with pneumatic tyres should manage and wheelchairs with solid tyres may find difficult; The Reading Room is wheelchair accessible via the gravel paths, and there is an accessible toilet on site. Lancaster Brewery is fully accessible. Samlesbury Hall says its ground-floor visitor areas and the majority of its grounds are wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets in the main Hall and in the Garden Room Eatery. At Leighton Hall entry is up three shallow steps at the front door, the ground floor is wheelchair accessible though uneven in places, wheelchairs cannot use the first floor, and the hall has an accessible toilet.