It couldn’t be a better time to visit South Shropshire – stop in St Milburga Chapel for a long weekend or midweek and soak up the festive atmosphere at events across the county. Ludlow Christmas events for 2023 are listed below.
Ludlow Winter Festival
Ludlow Winter festival will be held from the 25th to the 27th of November. A variety of events are held each day of the festival. On Friday the 25th, there is festive market outside Ludlow castle from 9-4pm, followed by a Christmas Bazaar in St Laurence’s Church from 7-9pm. There will also be a light trail through the castle between 5 and 9pm, where there will be a variety of stalls from the Ludlow Food Festival. There is also an Artisan Makers Market in the Beacon Rooms, where you can pick up Christmas gifts and presents. At 7:30pm, go see the Orleton Young Farmers Light up the Night charity tractor run through the streets of Ludlow. It finishes on the market square, where the tractors will then be displayed. Ludlow’s independent shops will also be open until 8pm today, so you could complete your Christmas shopping whilst watching the tractors.
On the Saturday, the festive market will be run from 9-6pm, and there will be a craft fair in St Laurence’s Church from 10-5pm. At 5pm, why not go see the Christmas lights switch on! There is also a makers market in the Castle Beacon Rooms from 1-9pm, the light trail around the castle from 5-9pm, a Santa’s Grotto in the Market Square from 2-4pm, and a winter ball in the feathers hotel at 6:30pm. There’s tonnes of activities to do to fill the day with Christmas joy!
Finally on the Sunday, as well as the Christmas market, castle light trail and makers market, there will be a Christmas concert in St Laurence’s Church from 4pm. Why not pop along and listen to a variety of Christmassy songs!
Visit Father Christmas
To see Father Christmas, visit Ludlow Castle on the weekend between the 9th and 24th of December. To visit Santa, you have to pay the general admission fee plus £5. Father Christmas is in the grotto, where he will chat with children to see if they’ve been naughty or nice, and the children can then have their photo taken. Each child that visits will receive an age appropriate gift. There is also a trail to discover the missing Christmas card around the castle, as well as mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies available in the cafe. There is no cover in the castle, so make sure to wear warm outdoor clothing and suitable footwear.
Christmas Fair
On the 14th November, a Christmas Fair will be hosted at Ludlow Racecourse between 9am and 3:30pm. For just £5, you can see over 50 stalls offering food, gifts and treats. 10% of every pound spent, as well as the entrance fee and money spent on tea, coffee and cake from the fair go to Ludlow Branch League of Friends and Working together Ludlow. There is free parking
Other events
As well as these fantastic events, many other villages also host Christmas fairs and markets, so if you can’t make it to any of the ones on this list, pop along to one of those! Other tourist attractions, such as Weston Park and Himley Hall, will also have Christmas trails around them, so be sure to visit if you have small children.