Top Christmas Markets to visit in the New Forest area & surrounds.
The New Forest and Hampshire looks even more beautiful with festive touches at this time of the year. Many towns are decorated for Christmas and hosting different types of markets. Here’s a selection of our favourites Christmas markets easily reached from the Cottage Lodge Hotel.
These are our top places to enjoy Christmas activities in the New Forest area this year:
- Family Christmas Fair in Exbury Gardens: 7 & 8 December 2019
- Victorian Christmas at Beaulieu: 7 & 8 December, 14 & 15 December & 21 December – 1 January (closed Christmas Day)
- Christmas in Winchester: 21st November – 22nd December
- Fun Christmas in Southampton: 14th November – 21st December
- Historic Christmas in Portsmouth: 29th & 30th November & 1st December
Christmas Market and Fair Details
1. New Forest Christmas Fair in Exbury Gardens
- When: 7 & 8 December 2019 From 10:00-16:00
- Cost: £2.50 per adult, children free and parking free
- Where: Exbury Gardens, Summer Lane, Exbury, SO45 1AZ Southampton
The largest Christmas event in the New Forest, the New Forest Christmas Fair will be taking place at Exbury Gardens this year, welcoming more than 100 traders and stalls to bring in the Christmas cheer. A traditional family day out, there are all kinds of wonderful gifts to purchase, as well as plenty of tasty local produce to sample.
Dog Friendly fair.
More details at https://www.exbury.co.uk/Buy_tickets
2. Victorian Christmas at Palace House Beaulieu
- When: 7 & 8 December, 14 & 15 December and 21 December – 1 January (closed Christmas Day) 11:00am – 5:00pm
- Cost included in entrance fees for Beaulieu motor museum
Travel back in time and visit the Victorian Montagu family home this festive season.
Visit us to see what the Montagu family members would have been doing during the festive season of 1889.
Sip a glass of warming mulled punch while you soak in the festive atmosphere of Palace House, with stunning decorations, welcoming log fires and a Christmas tree in each room – including a 20ft tree at the foot of the main staircase!
- Christmas pantomime rehearsal
- Carol singing
- Christmas crafts
- Victorian cooking & dressing up
- Mulled punch
- Christmas gifts
- Find the Christmas mice
More information at https://www.beaulieu.co.uk
3. Christmas in Winchester
- When: 21st November – 22nd December from 10.00- 18.00
- Cost: Free
- Where: Winchester Cathedral grounds
Christmas in Winchester is known as ‘England’s Christmas Capital’ and comes alive from November with an exciting array of events taking place in the city centre. From the stunning lantern parade, to the famous Christmas Market and Ice Rink at Winchester Cathedral, there is lots to entertain the family. Other highlights include special festive walks around the city, Christmas shopping in a number of boutique and independent shops and soaking up the pretty decorations and Christmas tree which run down the High Street.
More info at https://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/whats-on/winchester-cathedral-christmas-market
4. Christmas Fun in Southampton
- When: 14th November – 21st December from 10:00-20:00
- Cost: Free
- Where: Southampton High Street
In its 5th year the Southampton Christmas Festival is a major part of Southampton’s Christmas events which also features daily entertainment from local musicians and schoolchildren.
The Christmas market includes over 40 independent stallholders offering a range of hand-made, authentic gifts including wooden toys, baskets, soaps, lamps, jewellery as well as Christmas decorations and traditional German foods.
Flying Santa: One of the highlights of the festival is a ‘Flying Santa’ who will take to the sky over the city centre each day. See Santa and his reindeer fly high above the market at a height of 35m. At the end of each show Santa comes down from his sleigh and hands out free presents to every child. Monday – Saturday 5pm and 7pm and Sundays 4pm and 6pm.
More info at https://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/whats-on/southampton-christmas-festival-and-christmas-market
5. Historical Christmas in Portsmouth
- When: 29th & 30th November -& 1st December from 10:00-18:00
- Cost: Online tickets from £17.00
- Where:Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
One of the largest and finest Christmas festivals on the south coast returns to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to mark 20 years of magical festive fun.
The much-anticipated Victorian Christmas Festival will transport you to the late nineteenth-century, transforming the cobbled dockyard into a lively harbour side market full of colourful stalls, familiar characters and hair-raising circus performances.
Browse over 100 stalls under the shadow of HMS Victory for the perfect hand-crafted stocking filler, sip mulled wine and tuck into traditional festive treats in this unique setting.
Spread the Christmas cheer and enjoy over 100 performers in costume roaming the dockyard, with a host of beloved characters including Scrooge, Queen Victoria, and even St Nick in traditional green robes.https://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/christmas
Ice Skating
Festive ice rinks will pop-up outside Portsmouth Guildhall, Winchester Cathedral & Southampton walls from the end of November to the beginning of January. The ice rinks are perfect for a festive skate with family and friends.
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