Christmas Artisan Fair

St Albans Cathedral hosts the Christmas Artisan Fair on Saturday 7 November, from 11am to 3pm. It's run by Pop Up Creative Events, and they're bringing more than 70 independent maker stalls into the cathedral Nave. If you're looking for something a bit more thoughtful than the high street for your Christmas shopping, this is a good place to start.

It's not just about the stalls, though. While you're browsing, a children's choir from local primary schools will be singing from the altar, and the Abbots Kitchen Café will be open on site if you need a break. The fair also marks the opening of a three-day art exhibition in the North Transept, which runs from 7 to 9 November and features 22 artists; that's free to visit, so you can wander through it before or after the fair.

The fair is part of the cathedral's wider Christmas programme, which runs right through to Boxing Day. There are carols sung by the Cathedral Choir, and 'Carols on the Hour' services every hour from 11am on 12 December. A Live Nativity Trail follows on 13 December, then a Parish Eucharist with Nativity on 14 December, and a Christingle service. Lessons and Carols fall on 21 and 22 December, with Choral Evensong on Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass from 11pm on 24 December, and carols on Boxing Day.

For the fair itself, it's £2.50 for adults and free for children under 16. You'll find it in the Nave of St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 1BY, on Saturday 7 November, 11am to 3pm.