Many festive events get booked up early but don’t despair, plenty more will be added to the list over the coming months. If you’d like to keep up to date when new events are added why not like us on Facebook.
If you see an event below which is already fully booked on all dates, please do take a minute to hit the ‘report an error’ link under the event details and we’ll update the listing to reflect this to help avoid some disappointment.
If you run a relevant festive event that’s not listed yet (or if you’re a parent with a recommendation) please feel free to get in touch with details.
Basic listings are free, information on upgraded listings (with up to 200 words, social media links & photos) can be found here.
Tues 5th Nov – Tues 24 Dec
St Michaels Way, Gateshead, NE11 9YG
(Town Square outside House of Fraser)
Tel: 0191 493 0200
Arctic Experience with ice rink, ball pool and indoor snow fall. Visit Santa Claus in his brand new igloo grotto from 5th Nov to 24th Dec, with a gift for each child.
Ice Rink: £2
Grotto: £1 Walk-up visits / £1.50 Advance booking.
Grotto profits going to The Percy Hedley Foundation.
Sat 28th Dec
11am, 1pm, 2.30pm
(1 hour duration)
St Mary’s Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 2JR
Tel: 0191 443 4661
Led by Santa’s little helpers and specialist musicians, come along for a joyful jumble of seasonal singing, playing and dancing and general festive merriment!
Adults & Children: £4 per person.
Family & Friends Ticket: £12 (four tickets).
Suitable for under 7s and families.
Sat 16th Nov – Tues 24th Dec
Daily 10am – 4pm
Beamish, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 0YB
Tel: 01207 233733
Winter Fun Fair including ice rink, fairground with rides and sideshows, outdoor bazaar with quirky gifts and local festive food. Father Christmas’ Grotto and reindeer, with a small, traditional gift.
Standard entry fee applies.
(or Unlimited Pass / Friends of Beamish membership).
Extra charges for activities: 50p – £5.
Santa’s Grotto: £6 per child purchased at entrance (first come, first served).
Fri 29th Nov – Sun 1st Dec
Award-winning Traditional Christmas Festival, with a craft & gift marquee and a wide range of festive entertainment for all the family in and around the Cathedral and Castle and throughout the City Centre. Reserve your lanterns today for children to take part in the annual Lantern Procession.
£6 per lantern.
5th Sep – 25th Oct
Thursdays & Fridays, 10am-12pm
6th Sep – 25th Oct
Fridays, 12:30pm-2:30pm
(excluding 26th & 27th Sep)
Newcastle Road, West Boldon, South Tyneside, NE36 0BQ
Tel: 0191 536 4873
An outdoor experience helping to explore, discover, and get close to nature, led by a qualified Forest School leader in a purpose built woodland called The Realm. Including themed activities, free play time and a campfire with marshmallows!
£49 per child for 7 sessions. Booking essential. Ages 1-5.
Selected dates Thurs 5th – Sun 22nd Dec
Belsay, Belsay, Nr Morpeth, Newcastle, NE20 0DU
Tel: 0370 333 1181
An enchanting experience of light, colour and sound. Step through tunnels and pathways of twinkling lights and uncover magical secrets, including dancing fairies and talking trees. Plus fairground rides and games, mulled wine and mince pies.
Booking required.
£7.50 – £14 per person
£31.60 – £37.60 family ticket
(Discount for members)
Small additional cost for rides/games.
📌 Staindrop, Darlington, Co. Durham, DL2 3NF
▪ Explore the path through the Christmas trees into the Enchanted Festive Forest, full of magical scenes to discover. Find all the hidden items and collect a prize. Plus, for the first time visitors can enjoy the spectacle of the Castle decorated for Christmas, with a trail to follow and things to spot in every room.
📆 Sat 28th Nov – 24th Dec 2020: Enchanted Festive Forest
📆 Tues 1st – 18th Dec 2020: Christmas at the Castle
(selected dates)
👉 Festive Forest: £5 per child (1+ years).
Castle: £6.50 per child (5-15). £13 per adult.
Find out more here.
Sat 2nd Nov – Tues 31st Dec
39 Northumberland Street, Newcastle, NE99 1AR
Tel: 0191 232 5100
Christmas themed window with moving characters, bespoke soundtrack and twinkling lights. The unveiling of the window becomes a bigger and more magical affair each year, usually taking place in early November. Visit Fenwick department store’s dedicated festive floor, with the very best in gifts, decorations and stocking fillers.
Free.
Fri 20th Dec, 4.15 – 6.15pm
Ellison Road, Gateshead, NE11 9SS
Tel: 0191 425 2222
Special screening of The Polar Express Movie, including complimentary hot chocolate and souvenir Golden Ticket.
£5 each adult and child, booking required.
Sat 7th, 14th & 21st Dec, 6 – 9pm
Rowlands Gill, Burnopfield, Gateshead, NE16 6BG
Tel: 0344 2491 895
Enjoy a festive Christmas evening with tasty street food, live music and some Christmassy entertainment. All in Gibside’s family beer garden in the Market Place (the rest of the grounds will be closed for safety reasons).
Booking essential.
Adult: £3
Child: £2
Daily 16th Nov – 5th Jan
Greenwell Road Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1HB
Tel: 01665 511 350
Winter Bumpers: Fun, bumpy, inflatable land boats that collide and bounce (7 minute session).
Winter Playground: The ground is covered with fresh snow and children can play, build snowmen, make snowballs and have fun (18 minute session).
£3 per person per session, booking required.
(Plus entry to The Alnwick Garden: £4.50-£13.20)
Bumpers: miniumum age 7, minimum height 120cm.
Daily 13th Dec – 22nd Dec, 4:30 – 8:45pm
Greenwell Road Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1HB
Tel: 01665 511 350
The Alnwick Garden will come to life with sound and light. This after dark spectacular is fun for all the family and will have your senses buzzing and your heart filled with seasonal spirit.
£8.95 per person.
Booking recommended, from:
2nd Sep for Friends of The Alnwick Garden
9th Sep general release
Selected dates Sat 23rd Nov – Tues 24th Dec
Brasside, Durham, County Durham, DH1 5SG
Tel: 0191 386 8291
Festive fun with ride-on animals, huge inflatable, ‘The Fabulous Christmas Cracker’ show and arts & crafts. Meet Santa’s elves, reindeer and Mrs Claus, visit Santa’s Grotto and receive a gift. Experience lasts 90 minutes, tickets include full entry to Adventure Valley.
Adult: £12.95 – £15.95.
Child: £23.95 – £26.95.
0-1 years: £12.95 – £15.95 (free for siblings not participating).
Selected dates discounted for members.
Weekends Sat 23rd Nov – 22nd Dec
& Mon 23rd – Tues 24th Dec
North Whitehouse Farm, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 6AW
Tel: 01670 789 998
Winter Wonderland: with twinkling lights and snowy wonderland scenes.
Mrs Claus’ Bakery: decorate Christmas biscuits (small additional fee applies).
Elf School: lots of laughs and certificates for all who graduate.
Letter Writing room: write official letters to Santa and Christmas wishes.
Winter Stables: meet the animals, groom a pony, Bird of Prey meet & greets.
Christmas tractor sleigh rides.
Adults: £9.86
2 – 16 years: £8.87
Under 2 years: Free
Visit to Santa NOT included, must be pre booked separately.
