The Best Places in the Lake District for Christmas Shopping

15 November 2019

Whether you can believe it or not, Christmas is nearly upon us once again. While summer may not seem so long ago, the days are definitely getting shorter and the shops are filling up with Christmas gifts and decorations. 

The Lake District is an excellent place to be when you are on the lookout for Christmas gifts or even looking for a little treat for yourself. There are plenty of Christmas markets to look out for as well as excellent shopping towns around the local area.

Blackwell Arts & Crafts House Autumn Crafts Fair – 16th – 17th November

Get started on the Christmas shopping before December rolls around at Blackwell in Bowness-on-Windermere. The house will open its doors to vendors showcasing their crafts just in time for the festive season. This is the perfect place to find local arts and bespoke gifts for your loved ones. 

You will need to pay admission to enter the house, but there is plenty to see once you have gained entry!

Christmas in Cartmel – 29th November

For the third year, the village of Cartmel will host Christmas in Cartmel, a festive fair which takes over the village. As well as stalls selling local crafts, food, drink, and gifts, you can expect plenty of festive delights. These include real reindeer, Father Christmas, carol singers and more. 

Hawkshead Christmas Fair & Beer Festival – 7th-8th December

Head to the village of Hawkshead at the start of December for their annual Christmas Fair. There will be plenty of craft stalls and local produce to take your pick from, as well as live music and the lantern procession to get you in the festive spirit. The local pubs also host the Winter Beer Festival so you’ll be able to enjoy a tipple in between stalls!

Windermere Christmas Celebration – 14th – 15th December

This December you’ll find the Christmas Celebration lining the streets of Windermere. You can expect more than 50 stalls offering food, drink, arts, crafts and gifts to fill your Christmas cupboards with! As well as stalls, there will be snow cannons, Santa’s Grotto and live music to look forward to.

Local Shopping

If you don’t want to wait for the Christmas markets, there is still plenty of shopping to be done in the towns around the Lake District. Here are just a few of the best places to visit for shopping:

Keswick

As a market town, Keswick has a huge number of shops to visit, including plenty of independent shops. With lots of cafes, restaurants, and pubs to choose from, this is a great place for a day out shopping.

Carlisle

Just north of the Lake District, you’ll find Carlisle, a fantastic historic town which has plenty of shops to work your way around. As well as independent shops, you’ll also find The Lanes Shopping Centre which you can explore.

Windermere

This may be one of the most beautiful parts of the Lake District, but you’ll also find a great shopping town with countless boutiques, independent shops and plenty of coffee shops, pubs and restaurants to keep you going. Walk down into Bowness-on-Windermere and you’ll find even more!

The Lake District is a fabulous shopping location, particularly in the run up to Christmas when you can find Christmas markets and plenty of local shops decked out for the festive season. 

We have a number of holiday parks which are ideally suited for a day out in the Lakes whether you choose to spend your time shopping or not. You can book a winter holiday at one of our parks today and choose from a range of accommodation.