Major Harrogate fair is cancelled for 2020 over Covid restrictions

Harrogate Gift & Fashion Fair was scheduled to run at The Yorkshire Event Centre from September 25-26 but, in a case of bad luck, it has fallen short of the Government's planned relaxation of Covid restrictions which ban indoor events until October 1 by a single week.

This is despite efforts to switch the date of the event, which encompasses the latest fashions from the world's showrooms, including lingerie and luxury knitwear, as well as a wide range of decorative accessories for the home and conservatory and gifts for friends and family.

Organiser Noëlle Walsh said: "We did try to move our event to the first weekend in October but more than 25 of our exhibitors wouldn’t have been able to make it as they were booked elsewhere so the event wouldn’t have been as varied and exciting as usual."

But the good news is that organisers say the Great Yorkshire Christmas Fair is still happening this year from December 3-6 featuring 140 top companies selling everything family and friends could ever wish for at Christmas.

Even that, however, will not take place at its usual location as a result of the financial impact of social distancing rules.

Organiser Noëlle Walsh said: "Our Christmas Fair has been held at Ripley Castle for the past 12 years.

"Fortunately, as it turns out, we had already made the decision to move it to the huge Hall 1 at the Great Yorkshire Showground; the adjoining hall to the one where we hold the September Fair.

"With social distancing restrictions as they are at the moment, we couldn’t have run the Christmas Fair at Ripley Castle.

"Hall 1 is enormous so we can bring our usual gem of a show to this vast venue enabling us to have really wide aisles so visitors can shop in comfort while safely socially distancing."

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