A festive winter entertainment event featuring an open-air ice rink, vintage funfair rides, a Christmas tree, and a Santa's Grotto at the York Designer Outlet.
Yorkshire's Winter Wonderland returns to the York Designer Outlet on 13 November, running through to 3 January. It's the city's original and largest open-air ice rink, and this year marks its 21st season. It started back in 2005 as The Ice Factor on the Eye of York, near Clifford's Tower, before moving to the Designer Outlet in 2010. It's run every year since then, with the exception of 2020 when the pandemic forced it to close, and it now stands as the North of England's largest outdoor rink, with a 30ft Christmas tree at its centre.
There's more to it than just the skating. The rink is flanked by The Chalet, the après-skate café and bar, which gets a festive makeover with red-shuttered windows and a fireplace. It hosts live music and theme nights throughout the season, like Fizz & Fondue and Acoustic & Aperol. The funfair is back too, bringing back the vintage 1937 Brooklands Dodgems alongside new children's rides. And if you're taking the kids, there's Santa's Cabin, where you can meet Santa and support the annual Toy Appeal, which collects for children and families in need across York and Selby.
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It's a seven-week run, so you've got plenty of time to fit it in. Entry to the site is free, and parking is free too. You'll need separate tickets for skating and for Santa's Cabin, and funfair tokens are bought on site. The whole thing is at the South Entrance of the York Designer Outlet, St Nicholas Ave, YO19 4TA, from 13 November to 3 January.
