Your Lincoln Christmas Market Superguide 2017

The 35th annual Lincoln Christmas Market will officially open for visitors on Thursday, December 7.

With around 250,000 people expected to descend on the historic uphill quarter of the city for a festive weekend of food, drink, gifts and entertainment, The Lincolnite has brought you a superguide with all the information you need for the market.

Skip to section:

• Opening Times
• What to expect at the market
• Security
• Park and ride
• Layout
• Zones
• Travelling by bus
• Travelling by train
• Taxi numbers
• Road closures and restrictions
• Other restrictions
• Further information
• Social media

Take a tour of last year’s market:

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Opening times

• Thursday, December 7: 12pm – 9.30pm
• Friday, December 8: 10am – 9.30pm
• Saturday, December 9: 10am – 9.30pm
• Sunday, December 10: 10am – 7pm

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What to expect at the market

• Lincoln’s traditional Christmas market is one of the oldest in the UK
• The famous Lincoln Christmas Market takes place over the first full weekend (From Thursday to Sunday) in December in Lincoln’s Cathedral Quarter.
• There are  more than 200 stalls this year nestled in and around Lincoln Castle, Cathedral, and The Lawn complex.
• There is something for everyone, from unusual gifts to food and drink from near and far.
• There is also a whole host of entertainment for all the family to enjoy.

• Don’t miss the Medieval Christmas Market at the Medieval Bishops’ Palace, and the Christmas Artists’ Village at St Martin’s Square for more unique, festive markets during the weekend.
• From its beginnings in 1982, with just 11 stalls, the German-inspired Christmas market now takes over most of the cultural quarter of the city, with festivities expanding cross the wider area.
• Stalls include hand-made crafts, gifts, jewellery, candles, toys, art, local produce, food and drink.
• Full details of entertainment at the market can be found here.

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Security

Robust security is in place throughout the weekend to ensure visitor safety. This will include armed police.

There will be two rings of road restrictions surrounding the market this year. The inside ring will be out of bounds to all traffic and will be blocked by manned vehicles.

Police will be using drones and CCTV to monitor the crowds at the market this year.

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Park and Ride

There is no parking in the vicinity of the Christmas Market so all cars should use the dedicated Christmas Market Park and Ride service which operates from the Lincolnshire Showground on the A15 just north of Lincoln.

The park and ride site will be well signposted on all approach roads and for those using a sat nav the postcode is LN1 2ZR. There is also a dedicated service for people with disabilities, using specially adapted vehicles, which also runs from the showground.

All buses drop off close to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.

The service costs £12 per car if pre-booked. Click here to pre-book.

On the day charges per car:

• Thursday:  £13
• Friday: £14
• Saturday: £15
• Sunday: £14

A vehicle carrying 8 to 15 people is classed as a mini bus and the fee for per vehicle is £25

The service is on a fill and go basis and/or a frequency of every 7 minutes, whichever is sooner. Timings may be subject to variation subject to weather conditions and numbers of visitors.

Operating times:

• Thursday, December 1: 11.30am – 10pm
• Friday, December 2: 9am – 10pm
• Saturday 5 December: 9am – 10pm
• Sunday 6 December: 9am – 7:30pm

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Layout

Zones

• Castle Hill & Lincoln Castle: Authentic German-themed stalls, arts, crafts and gifts.
• The Lawn: The Christmas Bazaar, Christmas Pantry, and a huge variety of food and drink – including local produce and roasted nuts.
• Westgate & Fairground: Craft Marquee, fairground rides, and The Big Wheel – a great way to see the whole historic area from up high.
• Lincoln Cathedral West Front: Authentic wooden chalets with the Lincoln Cathedral as a backdrop.
• Medieval Bishops’ Palace: Themed medieval market stalls in unique, historic surroundings.

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Travelling by bus

• Bus operators have scheduled extra services throughout the market weekend.
• Shuttle buses will run from behind Lincoln Central Train Station. People can get on a bus at Tentercroft Street Bus Station (behind the train station) every 10 minutes. This service costs (adults) £1.20 single or £2.20 return, or 60p for a child’s single, £1.10 for a return ticket. For more information click or tap here.
• A Walk and Ride Shuttle runs from both Silver Street and opposite the train station every 15 minutes. This service costs £1. This service will run from:
  • Thursday – 10am – 7pm
  • Friday – 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday – 10am – 7pm
  • Sunday – 10am – 5.30pm

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Travelling by train

• People travelling by train can visit Lincoln in style with a special steam train from London. The British Pullman Steam Train will leave London Victoria on Friday, December 8 at 8:10am and includes a welcome sparkling Bellini, a three-course brunch on the outward journey, a champagne reception back on board and a four-course dinner with half a bottle of wine per person on the return trip. The trip costs £435 per person. More information can be found here.
• East Midlands Trains is adding a further 25,000 seats for the Lincoln Christmas Market.

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Taxi numbers

A full list of taxi numbers for Lincoln and the surrounding areas can be found here. 

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Road closures and restrictions

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Further information

• No dogs are allowed to attend the market, with the exception of guide dogs.
• All information regarding access for disabled visitors can be found here.

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Social media

You can follow updates and highlights from this year’s Lincoln Christmas Market by following:

• @thelincolnite
• @lincolnelf
• #LincolnChristmasMarket

Look out for live coverage of the market on The Lincolnite, including a ‘Tour around the market’ after opening.