Following its successful debut last year, Barnsley Christmas Market returns to The Glass Works on 5-8 December, promising to bring festive spirit and excitement to Barnsley town centre.

The Christmas Market will take place on The Glass Works Square and will feature over 50 stalls. From local food and drink producers to festive gifts, crafts and homeware, plus the ever popular street food vendors, combining traditional Christmas fare with flavours and tastes from all over the world.

The Market offers something for everyone with a huge range of unique gifts and homemade crafts, perfect for adding those festive decorations to the home or getting a head start on Christmas shopping. This year’s offer will also include a fantastic selection of local Yorkshire produce and international food and drink suppliers, offering cheeses, sauces, cakes, gins, spices, and deli items.

Visitors to the Market can indulge in traditional festive foods like German Bratwurst sausages, as well as a diverse range of sweet and savoury options from local and international vendors. The Glass Works Christmas Tipi will also be open, offering beers, cocktails, wines, hot chocolates, and mulled wine for guests to enjoy.

This year the event will feature a festive musical line-up with live performances from local brass bands including Barnsley Metropolitan Band, Barnsley Town Concert Band, Barnsley Brass, Cawthorne Brass Band and Barnsley Concert Band, as well as performances from Bavarian Blaters Oompah Band, Viva La Vintage, Jake Edwards Brown, and many more throughout the event.

The festivities run 11am-5pm on Thursday 5 December, 11am-7pm on Friday 6 December, 11am-8pm on Saturday 7 December and 11am-4pm on Sunday 8 December.

As part of the event, The Glass Works and Alhambra shopping centres will extend their opening hours until 7pm on Friday 6 December and Saturday 7 December. Barnsley Indoor Market will remain open until 6pm on both days and will be open from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 8 December. Market Kitchen will also open at 10am on that day.

Cllr Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture at Barnsley Council, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing the Christmas Market back to the town centre this December. Last year was a huge success and it’s going to be even bigger this time around.

“As a Council, we are extremely proud to have delivered a packed programme of family-friendly events again this year, including Barnsley’s Big Weekend and Bright Nights. We know these events are important to our residents and help to attract even more visitors to our thriving town centre, supporting local independent businesses and the high quality national brands at The Glass Works and in Barnsley.

"The town centre continues to go from strength to strength, with its incredible events programme and retail and leisure offer available to visitors and families to enjoy, including the fantastic bowling alley and cinema offer.”

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone down to The Glass Works this December.”