When Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit Harrogate, North Yorkshire? 

Harrogate is a very busy town for its size (current population of circa 160,000) and there is always something happening – it has even hosted the Eurovision Song Contest and a leg of the Tour de France – you just need to know where to look. This blog therefore signposts some of the key venues and events to look out for when travel planning a trip to Harrogate. There could be something happening in Harrogate Town which might influence the timing of your visit.

Events by Harrogate venue

The Harrogate Convention Centre (HCC)

Harrogate has long been a conference town, with the purpose-built HCC complex offering an active programme of events throughout the year. Check the Harrogate Convention Centre website to see what’s on at the following venues:

• HCC Auditorium – with 2000 seats, this large auditorium was built in 1982 and, in its opening year, hosted the 27th Eurovision Song Contest following the win by Bucks Fizz for the UK the previous year in Dublin. The auditorium now acts as a venue for speakers, comedians, and musicians
• Exhibition Halls – the HCC complex hosts many annual trade shows and public exhibitions, including the ever popular Wedding Fair, Christmas & Gift Trade Fair, the Harrogate Beer Festival, and many others
• The Royal Hall, Harrogate – this is a stunning Grade II listed Edwardian performance hall serving as the town’s second theatre. Amongst its claims to fame are that it is decorated with more gold leaf than the Buckingham Palace ballroom, and that both Louis Armstrong and The Beatles have played here!

Harrogate Theatre – Harrogate Pantomime and Harrogate Comedy Festival

Harrogate Theatre is a Grade II listed theatre which opened in 1900 and today offers a variety of top-quality plays, drama, dance, and music productions. The theatre also organises the annual Harrogate Comedy Festival which takes place in October and attracts many popular comedians to the town, including home-grown comedy talent Maisie Adams.

However, the biggest event of Harrogate Theatre’s calendar remains the well-established Harrogate Pantomime which runs from mid-November to mid-January and usually sells-out. Check the Harrogate Theatre website for listings.

Harrogate International Festival (HIF)

Harrogate International Festival hosts a full and varied programme of events throughout the year, with something appealing for everyone. Check the Harrogate International Festival website to see what events are coming up and can be included on a short break in Harrogate. The main elements of the Harrogate International Festival are:

• Berwins Salon North – accessible TED style talks (across the year)
• Harrogate Music Festival – three long weekends of classical, chamber and jazz music (June and July)
• Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival – attracts the best authors of this genre to speak about their books and writing (July)
• Spiegeltent – a Spiegeltent is erected on Crescent Gardens each year and hosts events such as the Silent Disco, House of Burlesque and musicians (July)
• Carnival – a one-day spectacular which varies from year to year (July)
• Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival – authors and celebrities of all types give talks and promote their books (October)
• International Sunday Series – Sunday morning coffee concerts featuring World class classical and chamber musicians (Jan to April)

Yorkshire Events Centre, Comic Con Yorkshire and the Great Yorkshire Show

The Yorkshire Events Centre forms part of the Great Yorkshire Showground facilities and hosts events throughout the year, including Comic Con Yorkshire (June), Harrogate Spring Flower Show (April), the Harrogate Art Fair, the Quilting Show and many more. But the biggest date in their calendar is the annual Great Yorkshire Show (GYS), the largest agricultural show in the north of England.

The Great Yorkshire Show (GYS)

For 3 days in July each year Harrogate hosts The Great Yorkshire Show, which takes place at the Yorkshire Showground in the south of the town. It dates back to 1838 and currently sells-out 35,000 tickets per day of the show.

You can book tickets on-line and are advised to book early to avoid missing out on livestock displays and competitions, shopping for tractors and farming machinery, shopping for gifts and clothing, and grabbing a bite to eat. There is usually a zip-wire and assault course set up by the Army to keep children amused, although you don’t need children with you to enjoy this event! Please note that no dogs are allowed as visitors to the GYS.

Murder Mystery Evenings at The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate

In 1926 the famous crime author Agatha Christie went missing for eleven days and was the subject of a nationwide hunt. She was eventually found safe and well at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, possibly suffering from amnesia. Agatha was one of the biggest selling writers of all time and so it seems fitting that the hotel now hosts Murder Mystery Evenings and Afternoon teas which are fun to do.

It is however quite a challenge to multitask at the Murder Mystery Evenings – chatting to the other guests, observing the unfolding of the mystery delivered by character actors who are amongst you, eating your meal and working out Whodunnit? You need to have your wits about you and not get carried away with the wine! We really enjoyed our Murder Mystery Evening and would recommend it for the novelty factor. Check The Old Swan Hotel website for forthcoming events.

The best cherry blossom in the UK?

There are several areas of Harrogate with a large concentration of cherry trees, namely on The Stray, a piece of common land around the town centre which is protected by an Act of Parliament. The trees were planted in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and they attract residents and visitors from afar. It is not unusual to see families in coordinated outfits, or a bride and groom in full wedding attire having professional photos taken under the beautiful blooms.

The cherry trees put on an incredible white and pink blossom display, usually around the last week of April and into early May each year. There is no prettier sight than the avenues of blossom on The Stray called Cherry Tree Walk and Milton Way when the trees are in full bloom, all within a 10-minute walk from the train station and easy to see on a short break to Harrogate.

It is my favourite time of year in Harrogate and sometimes overlaps with the daffodils so you can benefit from double colour which is lovely. I am yet to see a finer display of cherry blossom in this country, hence my claim of it being the best cherry blossom in the UK!

So when is the best time of year to visit Harrogate?

The best time of year to visit Harrogate, in my opinion, is whenever you can coordinate the dates of your trip with either the cherry blossom or an event in town that you want to see.

However, whenever you travel plan a short break to Harrogate, you are sure to receive a warm Yorkshire welcome from the residents. People really do help to make the place, although Charles Dickens is reported to have had some reservations, stating “Harrogate is the queerest place, with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading and dining”….but I say “What’s queer about that?”

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