Gutted about the lack of Christmas Markets this year in Leeds? Us too. Luckily, Chow Down have got an even better proposal...
Locally renowned open air bar and eatery, Chow Down, will be turning their Temple Arches open air space into a Winter Village from 11 November until New Years Eve.
The outdoor venue has continued to surprise and delight Leeds throughout the year, hosting the best street vendors, drinks and DJs the city has to offer and this festive experience will be no different.
Chow Down is Temple Arches ultimate open air eating, dining and dancing experience and the Winter Village is expected to be their largest event to date. / Image: Chow Down
Expect the unveiling of a brand new, two-storey bar, rooftop curling club and cosy Christmas tipis to curl up in.
To keep warm, grab a seat by the fire pit, heaters and take a blanket or go meet Santa at the breakfast and family activities running throughout the day.
If that's not enough, there will also be apres ski nights; drag, club classics and disco brunches; new permanent kitchen residencies and plenty of rotating street food vendors that will keep you returning to Chow Down each week to find out what's cooking.
After checking out the best of the Winter Village, simply people watching by the flames with a boozy hot chocolate might just be the relaxing end to your evening that you need.
But if you are hyped up from the array of winter cocktails, mulled wine and cider, embrace your surroundings and enjoy a night of entertainment from headline DJs and live performances.
The inviting space, filled with cosy corners, atmospheric lighting is always busy, whatever weekend you visit. It quickly became the social hub of the city over the summer and now that we are bunkering down for the colder months, their Winter Village is expected to keep the same equilibrium between intimacy and chatter, but with endless seasonal surprises.
Chow Down showed off their illustrated plans on Instagram this morning, but the rest of the details are being carefully kept under wraps until further notice. / Image: Chow Down
Chow Down have previously hosted food traders like Hun Street Kitchen, Tikka Chance on Me, Goodtime Tacos and Takin' Care of Burgers, so we will all be excited to hear about which vendors will be present at the Winter Village in November.
For now, exclusive details can only be accessed via their email subscription where the popular open air bar promise to give subscribers the opportunity to be 'first to hear about our plans and for exclusive priority access to tickets'.
If you can't wait until November to see the best of what Chow Down have to offer, their Halloween event will give you a tease of the atmosphere. The four-day event promises plenty of spooky street food, live DJs and bands.
Previous events have been a big hit with Leeds. / Image: Chow Down
The whole family are invited to craft workshops, drag brunch and there will even be a Halloween production over the weekend.
The event have confirmed food from Chow Down's favourite pizza vendor: Homeboy Pizza, plus much more on the day.
To prepare for these upcoming events, Chow Down will be closed for the next three weeks but it is clear that the return of the open air experience will be bigger and better than ever before.
Could you give a rescue dog a second chance in life? Now’s your chance.
The next series of hit Channel 4 show The Dog House is currently in the works, with producers on the lookout for people willing to give rescue dogs a forever home, and people from Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply.
Since first hitting our screens back in 2019, the award-winning series – which is currently in partnership with Woodgreen Pets Charity – has captured the hearts of viewers across the UK, sharing emotional stories of rescue dogs and the people hoping to give them a forever home.
Viewers get to watch incredible journeys of rescue dogs finding their perfect match.
Image: Channel 4
But the show demonstrates that it’s not just the dogs who are being rescued, many of their new owners also find their lives transformed in the process.
“Once again, we’ll be following the expert team of dog-matchers, meeting this year’s rescue dogs, and of course, getting to the know the amazing people who are looking to offer them a lifelong home,” a casting call for The Dog House reads on the Channel 4 website.
“We’re looking for people who are considering taking the incredible step of welcoming a rescue dog into their lives and are happy to share their reasons for doing so.
“If that’s you, then we’d love to get you know you.”
Does this sound like you then? Channel 4 is keen to hear the reasons why you may be looking for a new canine companion, so anyone who fancies applying for the show is asked to fill out an application form online.
Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for student nightlife
Clementine Hall
Our city is bursting at the seems with brilliant late night venues for students, but now it’s officially been confirmed.
And it's all down to accommodation provider Canvas who analysed key nightlife factors such as drink prices, the number and ratings of venues, and local safety scores to reveal the best cities in the UK for a night out.
If you've got Leeds as your student city of choice then you're in for a brilliant three years, as we ranked number four in the top ten list. Get in.
Leeds has a whopping 325 venues and a strong 4.40 average rating, drink prices are relatively affordable drinks with a pint costing an average of a fiver and soft drinks at £1.71.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Leeds also came out with a solid safety score of 47.28, so it's fair to say Leeds it’s a well-rounded option for students.Bath took the top spot with 10 venues per 10,000 people and an impressive average rating of 4.45 stars.
Coming in second, Manchester boasts the highest number of bars and clubs overall, with 606 venues, 15 for every 10,000 people and a strong average rating of 4.37 stars and a pint costing slightly less than Bath at £5.50.
In third place was Newcastle and in fifth place was York. It's safe to say that the North dominated the top spots, and rightly so.
The top ten best cities for student nightlife in the UK are:
Sophie Smith -
7th October 2021 
