A Christmas experience that all children can get stuck into.
It's that time of the year already! Father Christmas is beginning to think about where to stop off and visit those that have been naughty and nice this year, and Thackray Museum of Medicine is top of the list.
From Saturday 18 November, the big man in red will be hosted by the museum space, with a whole host of exciting events that share all the diverse ways that Christmas is celebrated around the world.
The 90-minute journey is a true immersive adventure that'll have even the quietest of children on the hunt for clues to uncover the different meanings of Christmas.
Grab a photo on the Thackray sleigh and listen to Father Christmas telling stories before watching each child receive a thoughtfully-selected gift to take home as a keepsake and early Christmas present.
This Christmas promises to bring more accessible experiences to Leeds, with two British Sign Language interpreted experiences taking place on Saturday 10 December and Sunday 16 December, as well as 'relaxed experiences' that are specifically designed for children with additional sensory needs. These additional sessions will run earlier on in the festive build-up on Saturday 25 November and Sunday 26 November, with reduced capacity and quieter environments.
And visiting Santa isn't the only reason to head down to Thackray Museum of Medicine this Christmas...
Each ticket to see Santa is allocated an hour after arrival, to give you plenty of time to explore the additional Christmas crafts dotted around the museum. The idea is that whilst families get stuck into the festive events, they can also explore the temporary and permanent exhibitions on within the Thackray.
Whether you're looking for an additional play area or want to hear more about the critically acclaimed On The Bench exhibition that explains the intricacies of sports injury, there's really something for every age to learn from.
Chief Executive Officer of Thackray Museum of Medicine, Edward Appleyard, perfectly explains how the exhibition will celebrate the festive period for all ages: "Christmas, just like medicine, isn't a simple story. It dates back to centuries of history from many cultures around the world, something we celebrate as being a strength of the rich diversity of Leeds and the communities that surround the Museum.
"It’s a great opportunity to learn about the breadth of culture we are able to represent here at Thackray, as we showcase worldwide Christmas culture in our second year of Festive celebrations."
Read More:
Leeds Christmas Markets confirmed to return to the city after four year hiatus
Let's face it, events like this always sell out quickly, so to avoid disappointment, make sure to book a ticket in advance via the Thackray Museum website. Tickets cost £17-£22 for children over six months and accompanying adults cost £7-£12 each.
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Major plans announced for Leeds Christmas Markets 2026 – food, drinks, stalls and more
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Popular TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
Sophie Smith -
29th September 2023 
