Cut-price offers for Harrogate shoppers during UCI cycling events

Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) is distributing 20,000 voucher booklets during the UCI Road World Championships.

Next week will see Harrogate BID hand out the ‘Harrogate Autumn Offers’ booklet featuring more than 64 businesses from across the town centre with bespoke discounts and deals for shoppers.

The book of offers will be distributed not only in Harrogate town centre and at the free-standing kiosk in Victoria Shopping Centre but further afield at Leeds Bus Station where many visitors will be setting off from.

Harrogate couple meet stars on Downton Abbey movie red carpetElizabeth Murphy, Harrogate BID manager, said: “The voucher booklet is one of many recent initiatives from the BID team to try and support our retail sector.

“The deals will be available throughout autumn, but we wanted to capture the thousands of visitors descending on Harrogate as the host town of the cycle races.”

The ambition is to pull people into our shops, entice them to leave the Harrogate Fan Zone, and spend money with local businesses.

A sample of offers include money off treatments for new clients at the Harrogate Nail Bair, half-price drinks at Bean and Bud, half-price canvas wraps from Max Spielmann and a discount off cask ale taster trays at the Hales Bar.

On an individual basis, independent shops and cafes are putting up ‘Harrogate welcomes the world’s cyclists’ signs and forging links with leading cycling organisations.

After being confirmed as an official supplier to the UCIs, Zwift will be taking over Cold Bath Brewery Co at Kings Road from September 22-29.

Already being built is The Zwift Draft House next door to the popular Harrogate bar near the UCI route.

Designed to be a hangout for fans and pro cyclists alike, it will be a key place next to the town centre circuit where visitors can grab a cup of coffee, refuel with some food, and even test out a virtual route of the UCI Road World Championships - or try one of four new Zwift and Cold Bath Brewery collaborative craft beers.

Starling Independent Beer & Coffee House on Oxford Street will be hosting big cycling names Rapha and Canyon for the full duration of the Road World Championships as their Community Hub.

And Starling is also offering raffle tickets with the chance to win a Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0 Di2 bicycle plus a full Rapha UCI Racewear bundle with all proceeds being donated to Saint Michael’s Hospice.

The opening UCI weekend will see Harrogate BID present acrobats, face painters and stilt walkers in the town centre, similar to their Saurus display which was part of the Carnival celebrations.

There will be more BID street entertainment on the final weekend including The Skulls – a theatre troupe of puppetry, magic and theatre – on Friday, September 27.

Amazing new art installation in Valley Gardens to be 're-done' in Harrogate