Lincoln Christmas Market will return to the city on Thursday, December 2 until Sunday, December 5.
The festive extravaganza was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Lincoln Christmas Market usually sees around 250,000 people pour into the Cathedral Quarter for festive fun and cheer across the four-day event.
Normally, more than 250 stalls will line the grounds of Lincoln Castle and the streets surrounding the city’s Gothic Cathedral, as visitors shop for Christmas gifts and enjoy the wide range of festive treats on offer.
The 38th Lincoln Christmas Market will have over 150 stalls and fun for all the family, including a fun fair and big wheel offering spectacular views of Lincoln – see the full list of stalls here.
Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed to attend the Christmas Market except assistance dogs.
Traffic restrictions and road closures
Traffic restrictions will be in place for the 2021 Lincoln Christmas Market.
The Lincoln Christmas Market Temporary Traffic Regulation Order comes into force on Thursday, December 2.
Any vehicles parked after this time within the restricted areas will strictly be parked in contravention to the order. However, to accommodate the needs of residents the restrictions will not be enforced until 8am on December 2, but vehicles remaining after this time may be subject to a penalty charge notice.
Road closures for the 2021 Lincoln Christmas Market.
During the build up to the event and the Christmas Market itself, it is necessary to restrict some roads within the area to a one way system. There will be some areas with no waiting cones on Carline Road to ensure access is maintained.
Traffic restrictions will be in place in the build up to the Lincoln Christmas Market.
During the event the following restrictions will be applied, as and when necessary, between 12.01am on December 2 and 11.59pm on December 5:
These restrictions will be applied, as and when necessary, during the Lincoln Christmas Market.
The event closes to the public at 7pm on Sunday, December 5. Stallholders will be leaving after this time and road closures within the inner area will be in place until 10pm.
Further information for local residents in the uphill area of Lincoln can be found here.
Car park closures
Car park closures for the 2021 Lincoln Christmas Market.
If you have a lawn season ticket, these are also valid in Broadgate and Chaplin Street car parks.
Meanwhile, businesses affected by traffic restrictions in the market area are entitled to apply for a numbered outer business access pass. This is for genuine access to businesses – see more information here.
Park & Ride
There is no parking in the vicinity of the Christmas Market, so people are being advised to use the Park & Ride service.
The services operates from the Lincolnshire Showground on the A15 just north of Lincoln, and the site will be well signposted on all approach roads.
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 on Burton Road.
Pre-booked tickets can be purchased online here at £12 per car for an open dated ticket, which can be used on any one day of the 2021 event.
On the day charges per car are: Thursday £13, Friday £14, Saturday £15, and Sunday £14.
A vehicle carrying eight to 15 people is classed as a mini bus and the fee per vehicle is £25.
Opening times for Park & Ride:
Thursday, December 2: 11.30am-10pm
Friday and Saturday, December 3 and 4: 9am-10pm
Sunday, December 5: 9am-7.30pm
Bus, train and coach travel
Bus
Stagecoach will be running a shuttle bus for the Lincoln Christmas Market, which will run every 10 minutes.
It will run from Bay D at Lincoln Central Bus Station between December 2 and 5. There will also be additional late-night services on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A shuttle bus service will be in place during the Lincoln Christmas Market. | Photo: Stagecoach
People can also travel into Lincoln from Grantham, Horncastle, Skegness, Market Rasen, Grimsby, Gainsborough, and Scunthorpe on Stagecoach’s InterConnect network – see more information here.
Train
LNER will put on a special weekend timetable with longer trains and extra seats. The nine-coach Azuma trains stop at Lincoln station on their way to and from London King’s Cross.
Saturday, December 4 (Northbound)
• 11:00 London King’s Cross to Inverness via Lincoln at 12:44
• 11:30 London King’s Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 13:21
• 13:30 London King’s Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 15:19
• 16:30 London King’s Cross to Edinburgh via Lincoln at 18:14
• 19:00 London King’s Cross to Newcastle via Lincoln at 20:44
Saturday, December 4 (Southbound)
• 06:56 Skipton to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 09:01
• 09:45 Leeds to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 11:01
• 09:52 Aberdeen to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 16:01
• 17:45 Leeds to London King’s cross via Lincoln at 19:01
• 14:52 Aberdeen to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 21:07
Sunday, December 5 (Northbound)
• 09:00 London King’s Cross to Aberdeen via Lincoln at 10:45
• 11:00 London King’s Cross to Inverness via Lincoln at 12:44
• 14:00 London King Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 15:46
• 19:00 London King’s Cross to Newcastle via Lincoln at 20:47
• 20:00 London King’s Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 21:44
Sunday, December 5 (Southbound)• 09:40 Leeds to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at [service and stopping time TBC]
• 09:56 Newcastle to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 12:05
• 09:40 Inverness to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 17:17
• 17:42 Leeds to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 18:57
There are direct services from locations including Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness. This comes after LNER worked with Network Rail to come up with a solution for the Christmas Market following a review of its previous service.
Due to key upgrades on the East Coast Main Line on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5, LNER trains between Doncaster and Peterborough will be on diversionary routes with replacement coaches provided for people travelling to/from Grantham, Newark North Gate and Retford.
Complementing the rail services will be direct replacement coaches between Lincoln and Peterborough with a separate coach service linking Grantham, Newark North Gate and Retford.
City of Lincoln Council has reassured visitors travelling by train to this year’s Christmas Market that potential strike action should not affect key East Midlands Railway services.
Coach operators planning to bring a group to the Christmas Market must pre-book first by midnight on November 26 – see more information here.
Further Information
Should you need assistance or want to report anything, there will be police officers, or stewards wearing pink hi-vis tabards, to speak to. As well as this, the market has extensive CCTV coverage which is monitored and recorded in a dedicated control room for your safety
Accessible toilet facilities for disabled people are available, including at the Park & Ride site at the Lincolnshire Showground
There will be medical and welfare facilities on site for all visitors at the event
Wheelchair and mobility scooter loan – Shopmobility, which is located at Lincoln Bus Station, provides daily loans of manual wheelchairs – contact 01522 514477 for more information
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The 2024 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are now open for nominations, seeking to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Greater Lincolnshire area.
Hosted by Stonebow Media, the publisher behind The Lincolnite and the MyLocal platform, this prestigious event is designed to honour the achievements of the regional business community.
Thanks to the headline sponsorship from the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department, the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of local enterprises.
The awards are also sponsored by Ringrose Law, Duncan & Toplis, Sills & Betteridge and Pearson Hydraulics. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Contact [email protected] to discuss partnerships.
Businesses can nominate themselves across eleven awards categories:
The deadline for nominations is May 24, with the judges’ deliberation lunch set for May 29.The judging panel includes business experts and professionals from Lincolnshire and event sponsors.
The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 gala will take place at the Engine Shed on July 12, 2024.
Enhance profile & credibility: Securing an award or being shortlisted acts as a powerful endorsement, signaling trustworthiness to potential customers and helping to distinguish your business from competitors. Displaying the award on your communications can significantly boost your brand’s perception.
Insightful focus & feedback: The application process encourages deep reflection on your business strategy and direction, offering invaluable feedback and clarity, even for new ventures.
Team confidence boost: Recognition from the awards can significantly uplift your team’s morale, affirming the value and potential of your business in the eyes of industry experts.
Marketing & PR boost: Being associated with the awards, even as a nominee, can enhance brand visibility, providing ample content opportunities for social media and other marketing channels.
Networking opportunities: The awards connect you with local business leaders and experts, offering a platform to seek advice, share ideas, and foster future partnerships. The ceremony itself is an excellent occasion for networking with peers and celebrating mutual successes.
Potential to win: Entering offers a chance to win and gain all the associated benefits, but even without taking home a trophy, the process can yield significant advantages for your business.
A Lady Gaga loving kitten owned by a couple who run a charity for disabled pets featured on Channel 5’s The Pet Psychic.
Pet Psychic Beth Lee-Crowther comes to the aid of pet owners and in Tuesday night’s episode she met Cookie the kitten, a depressed camel, and looked at whether a dog can predict the future.