Christmas Markets in Lincolnshire 2026

In 2026 Burghley Christmas Fair opens first, from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November. The Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair follows at Lincolnshire Showground on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, and the Showground's Festive Makers Market is on Saturday 12 December. Each market's card carries its dates.

At Burghley, on a lead, though the estate advises against bringing one. Burghley says its fair is busy, so it does not recommend dogs; any that come must stay on a lead, and only assistance dogs may go into the indoor areas, among them the Marquee, the Pavilion and the Great Hall. The Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair is held indoors and does not allow pet dogs; the Showground admits assistance dogs and may ask to see evidence. The Festive Makers Market has not said whether dogs are welcome.

The Festive Makers Market is free to enter, according to its organiser. Burghley Christmas Fair is ticketed and has to be booked ahead, as no tickets are sold at the gate; carers can ask for a free carer ticket when booking. The Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair sells tickets in advance and, subject to availability, on the day; under-3s go free, a child ticket includes Santa's Workshop, and one carer or personal assistant goes free with supporting documentation.

Burghley's is, on two nights. Burghley Christmas Fair stays open until 7.30pm on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, its late-night shopping evenings, with a short drone show at around 6.20pm if the weather allows; on the Thursday and Sunday it closes at 4pm. At Lincolnshire Showground the Food & Gift Fair runs from 9am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm, and the Festive Makers Market from 10am to 3pm.

Yes: Burghley and Lincolnshire Showground both offer free parking. Burghley's standard and accessible parking needs no booking, but most of it is on grass that may be muddy or uneven, and some is as far as 500m from the entrance; priority spaces near the entrances can be booked for a fee. At the Showground, the Food & Gift Fair's free parking is on grass near the main entrance, Gate 1, just off the A15, and the Showground says it has thousands of free spaces.

Burghley and Lincolnshire Showground have both published access details. Burghley gives step-free access to every shopping area of its fair, though there are cobbles and uneven ground in the courtyards; accessible parking is close to the fair's entrances, there are disabled toilets at the Garden Café, The Brewhouse and the Chestnut Courtyard, and a ramp and stairlift lead to the Orangery Restaurant and the Great Hall. The Showground's general access information says its EXO and EPIC buildings have flat ground floors, lifts, wide doors and accessible toilets, with a Changing Places toilet inside the EXO Centre and disabled parking bays. On the Sunday of the Food & Gift Fair, the opening hour, 9am to 10am, is a Quiet Hour, with the music and announcements switched off and the lights turned down.