Holker Winter Market opens 6 November, then Blackwell's craft fair, Ulverston's Dickensian festival on 28 and 29 November and Kirkby Lonsdale's December fair.

The Christmas market season around Kendal opens with Holker Winter Market, Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, three weeks before Kendal’s own lights go on, and the last of the big ones, Kirkby Lonsdale’s Christmas Fair, runs from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December. In between come a two-weekend craft fair at Blackwell and Ulverston’s Dickensian festival.

Every date below was read on the organiser’s own website on 30 September 2026. Where an organiser has not yet published times or prices, we say so rather than fill the gap with last year’s.

The dates at a glance

Market Dates Where Confirmed so far
Holker Winter Market Fri 6 to Sun 8 November Holker Hall, Cark-in-Cartmel Dates only; tickets “soon to be released”
Blackwell Winter Craft Fair 13 to 15 and 20 to 22 November Blackwell, Bowness-on-Windermere Dates, times and prices
Kendal Christmas lights switch-on Fri 27 November Market Place, Kendal Date; times still TBC
Ulverston Dickensian Festival Sat 28 and Sun 29 November Ulverston town centre Dates; programme “being developed”
Kirkby Lonsdale Christmas Fair Fri 4 to Sun 6 December Market Square and venues across town Dates and full timetable
Kendal Christmas Celebration Sat 5 or Sun 6 December Market Place, Kendal Organiser’s two listings disagree

Holker Winter Market, Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November

Holker Hall’s market is the first and the largest. Holker’s own review of the 2025 market calls it “the biggest seasonal market in the North West outside of Manchester”, and that post is also where the 2026 dates were first announced: Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.

The event page still reads “Save the date!” and says tickets and further information are “soon to be released” (Holker Hall). No price, opening hours or parking arrangements for 2026 had been published on 30 September. Holker is at Cark-in-Cartmel, near Grange-over-Sands, LA11 7PL. We will add tickets and times here when Holker publishes them.

Winter Craft Fair at Blackwell, 13 to 15 and 20 to 22 November

Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts house above Windermere, runs its winter craft fair over two consecutive weekends this year, for its 125th anniversary, with a different selection of makers each weekend. Expect jewellery, ceramics, textiles, leatherwork, woodcraft and homeware set out through the house’s rooms (Lakeland Arts).

  • Dates: Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November, and Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November.
  • Times: 10am to 4pm.
  • Prices: adult £8, child aged 5 to 15 £4, under-5s free, student £6, companion free. Lakeland Arts members and Blackwell annual pass holders go free without a ticket.
  • Tickets: in advance online or on the day at the ticket desk.
  • Address: Blackwell, Bowness-on-Windermere, LA23 3JT, which has its own car park (Lakeland Arts: Blackwell).

Kendal’s own: switch-on and the Christmas Celebration

Kendal does not have a multi-day Christmas market of its own. It has two one-day events, both run by Kendal BID in and around Market Place.

  • The Christmas lights switch-on is Friday 27 November. Kendal Town Council’s civic events page says it comes with entertainment, Father Christmas and “a special late-opening of Kendal Farmer’s Market” (Kendal Town Council). Kendal BID’s own page still says “Timings and more details to be confirmed”. Our switch-on page has the detail.
  • The Kendal Christmas Celebration takes over Market Place with Santa’s grotto, Christmas music and stalls. Kendal BID’s calendar lists it for Sunday 6 December, while Visit Kendal, which credits the BID, lists Saturday 5 December. Both listings were unchanged when we checked on 30 September. Our switch-on page sets out why the Sunday looks likelier; check before you travel.

Ulverston Dickensian Christmas Festival, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November

The 27th Dickensian festival fills Ulverston town centre over the last weekend of November. The festival’s own site promises multiple performance stages, roving street performers, mulled wine, “a town-full of wonderful stalls” and a costume parade on both days, and says almost all of the entertainment is free (Ulverston Dickensian Festival).

On 30 September the organisers said the stallholder pack was out and the entertainment programmes were “being developed”, with the What’s On page to follow “in due course”. There are no published opening times or parade times yet, so treat any times you see elsewhere as last year’s. Coach operators are asked to phone 01229 580640 before they arrive. The festival is run by a volunteer committee and has been going since 2000.

Kirkby Lonsdale Christmas Fair, Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December

Kirkby Lonsdale has published the fullest timetable of any of them (Kirkby Lonsdale):

Day What is on
Friday 4 December Chalet village in Market Square 4pm to 7pm; lantern walk 4.30pm from the Town Information Centre; lantern parade 5.30pm from St Mary’s Church; lights switch-on 6pm with Father Christmas
Saturday 5 December Chalet village 10am to 7pm; indoor market at Lunesdale Hall and Santa’s Market at St Mary’s Church 10am to 5pm; Santa’s grotto 11.30am to 1.30pm and 3pm to 5pm; Santa parade 2pm
Sunday 6 December Chalet village, indoor markets and Santa’s grotto 10am to 4pm; carols at St Mary’s Church 6pm

Christmas music runs in venues around the town on all three days.

One thing to check on parking. The same page offers free parking at the Booths car park and Wellington Court “from 8am Friday 5 December until midnight Sunday 7 December”. Those are last year’s days of the week: in 2026 the Friday is the 4th. Free parking at QE Studio and Queen Elizabeth School, Biggins Road, LA6 2HJ is listed for “all weekend”, and the council’s New Road and Dodgson Croft car parks charge as usual. The organisers ask visitors to car share or come by public transport.

Getting there and parking

There is no free council car park in Kendal, Windermere, Bowness, Grange or Kirkby Lonsdale, and evening charges differ by car park. The tariffs are on our parking page. For road closures and works on the way to any of these, see roadworks and travel, and for Christmas rail and bus changes, Christmas train and bus times.

Looking for Father Christmas rather than a market? Our Santa near Kendal page covers grottos, the Lakeside steam trains and the Windermere cruises, and Winter at Sizergh runs daily from 20 November.

What we are watching

  • Holker’s ticket release and opening hours.
  • Ulverston’s programme and parade times.
  • Kendal BID’s switch-on times and a single date for the Christmas Celebration.

We will update this page as each is published. For everything else on in town, see what’s on in Kendal this month.

Sources