Kirkby Lonsdale's Christmas Fair runs Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December: lights on at 6pm Friday, Santa parade 2pm Saturday, free parking at Booths all weekend.

Kirkby Lonsdale’s Christmas Fair is on from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026. The lights go on at 6pm on the Friday with Father Christmas in Market Square, the Santa parade goes through the town at 2pm on the Saturday, and the weekend ends with carols at St Mary’s Church at 6pm on the Sunday. Entry to the fair is free.

Every time below comes from the fair’s own page on the town website, read on 28 October 2026 (Kirkby Lonsdale). It is the fullest timetable any Christmas event near Kendal has published so far.

Is it on this year?

Yes. The town website lists the 2026 fair for Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December, with the full programme, the markets and the parking arrangements, all dated for this year.

The timetable

Where the markets are

Market Friday 4 December Saturday 5 December Sunday 6 December
Christmas chalet village, Market Square 1pm to 7pm 10am to 7pm 10am to 4pm
Indoor market, Lunesdale Hall No 10am to 5pm 10am to 4pm
Santa’s Market, St Mary’s Church No 10am to 5pm 10am to 4pm

Christmas cafés run at Lunesdale Hall and St Mary’s Church from 10am to 5pm on the Saturday and 10am to 4pm on the Sunday, and at the Methodist Hall from 10am to 4pm on the Saturday and 1pm to 4pm on the Sunday.

Friday 4 December: lanterns and the switch-on

  • 4.30pm: Festive Guided Lantern Walk from the Town Information Centre (ticketed, see below).
  • 4.30pm onwards: Christmas music on “The Monumental Stage” in venues around the town.
  • 5.30pm: Lantern parade from St Mary’s Church.
  • 5.30pm onwards: “Santa’s Fringe” music in venues around the town.
  • 6pm: Christmas lights switch-on with Father Christmas in Market Square.

Saturday 5 December: the Santa parade

  • 10am to 4pm: family crafts at St Mary’s Church.
  • 11am onwards: music on The Monumental Stage.
  • 11.30am to 1.30pm and 3pm to 5pm: Santa’s grotto at St Mary’s Church.
  • 2pm: Santa parade through the town.
  • 2.45pm onwards: Santa’s Fringe music.
  • 4.30pm: a second Festive Guided Lantern Walk from the Town Information Centre.

Sunday 6 December: grotto and carols

  • 10am to 4pm: Santa’s grotto at St Mary’s Church.
  • 11am onwards: music on The Monumental Stage.
  • 12.30pm onwards: Santa’s Fringe music.
  • 6pm: Christmas carols for everyone at St Mary’s Church.

The page gives no price for Santa’s grotto and does not say whether it needs booking. If that matters for your visit, ask the Town Information Centre on 015242 97177 before you go.

The lantern walk

The Festive Guided Lantern Walk is the one part of the weekend with a published ticket price. It runs from 4.30pm to 5.30pm, starting at the Kirkby Lonsdale Information and Gift Shop, 29 Main Street, LA6 2AH, and takes in “fascinating stories and colourful characters from the town’s past”. Adults £12, under-16s free, with mulled wine and a mince pie included. Tickets are sold at the Information Centre or online through the town website (Kirkby Lonsdale).

Parking

The fair page sets out the parking for the weekend:

  • Free: the Booths main store car park and Wellington Court, from 8am on Friday 4 December until midnight on Sunday 6 December.
  • Free all weekend: QE Studio and Queen Elizabeth School, Biggins Road, LA6 2HJ.
  • Charging as usual: the council’s New Road and Dodgson Croft car parks.

The organisers ask visitors to use public transport or share a car. No road closure order for the fair had been advertised on the Public Notice Portal when we checked on 28 October; if the Santa parade or the switch-on needs one, it will be advertised there first, and we will add it here. For what is shut on the way, see roadworks and travel, and for Kendal’s own car parks, our parking page.

The same weekend near Kendal

The first weekend of December is busy. Kendal’s own Christmas Celebration in Market Place, with Santa’s grotto and stalls, is on Sunday 6 December, and the Kendal Whisky Festival is at Brewery Arts on 4 and 5 December. Christmas at Levens Hall opens for the season on Friday 4 December. Our Christmas markets page has every market from Holker in November onwards, and the switch-on page covers Kendal’s lights on Friday 27 November.

What we are watching

  • Any grotto price or booking arrangement.
  • A traffic order for the Santa parade or the switch-on.

We will update this page before the fair weekend.

Sources