Salisbury's Weekend What's On 11/12 December
It’s now just two weeks until Christmas, and the festive season is in full swing across Salisbury!
Whether you want entertainment for the children, carols by candlelight, festive markets or even a Tudor inspired Christmas, you can experience them in our modern medieval city.
Here’s our guide to what’s on this weekend, 11th and 12th December, in Salisbury:
Christmas fun at the Cross Keys Shopping Centre
If the children need a bit of encouragement to go shopping this weekend, why not offer them a trip to see the Facepainting Fairy! Between 11am and 4pm on Saturday 11th December there will be FREE face painting at the Cross Keys Shopping Centre. Whether you want an elf or snowman, they’ll be ready to create your favourite design.
As well as that, there will also be the Salisbury City Royal British Legion Band playing throughout the day so it’ll definitely be feeling festive in the centre this weekend!
Christmas at Salisbury Cathedral
Another activity the children might like to try this weekend is the Christmouse trail at Salisbury Cathedral! They’ll enjoy becoming detectives to find the ten knitted mice that have been hidden at various locations around the Cathedral floor and shop. Use the clues to find them and there’s a prize for those who track them all down. The trail now runs right up to the New Year.
While you are there make sure to check out the 33ft Christmas tree that has gone up in the main Cathedral building. It’s huge and beautifully decorated!
Last chance for the Makers Market
This Saturday is the last Courtyard Christmas Makers Market of the year at Fisherton Mill. The final six artisans to showcase their products are:
- Slumbermonkey Designs
- Maisie Jones Ceramics
- Francesca Mclean Illustration
- Suzanne Ball Jewellery
- Happy Homeware
- Felt by Bex
The Makers Markets each feature six individual stalls offering original handcrafted fare and a range of quirky gifts. They run from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 11th December. More information on each of the artists this week can be found here.
If it is unique gifts you’re after this Christmas, make sure you also take time to stop off at the Sunday Festive Market this weekend. Over 50 stall holders will fill the historic Market Place this Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Whether it’s festive food, handmade crafts, clothing or jewellery you’ll find it here.
It’s also the last in the series of Craft Fairs at Salisbury Guildhall on Saturday, 11th December. Call in between 10am and 5pm to browse the different craft stalls and find something special and unique directly from local talented makers.
Fairytales come to life
Snow White and the Happy Ever After Beauty Salon is entertaining audiences until 31st December and there are a very limited number of seats available for this weekend. It’s a fantastic show full of songs, dance, puppets and laughter! It will put a smile on any face, no matter their age! Read more about the festive show at Salisbury Playhouse in our review, here.
An old-fashioned Christmas
Take a trip back to the Tudor times at Salisbury Museum this weekend. A Tudor Christmas is back at the Kings House in the Cathedral Close. It will be filled with the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas during Tudor times. A feast, falconry, a strolling minstrel, Tudor food demonstration, Tudor martial arts, Tudor stories and even a bouncy Tudor castle! Running across the whole weekend, 11th and 12th December from 10am to 4pm.
Christmas by candlelight
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without carols and you can hear the enchanting Sarum Voices this Sunday 12th December at St Martin’s Church. The Salisbury-based semi-professional vocal ensemble will bring the building to life with the sound of Christmas music, all performed by candlelight. Find all the information here.
Make shopping fun!
Christmas shopping isn’t always the most fun, especially when you’re stressed about what to buy everyone, so why not play a game at the same time! Salisbury BID’s Nutcracker Kings are hidden in businesses across the city centre. Find one and it could win you a £50 Salisbury Gift Card. Click here to find out more details of how to win Salisbury’s Nutcracker Kings Hide and Seek challenge.
Other events to look out for this weekend...
If you haven’t walked the Christmas Tree Trail yet then why not take a magical stroll around Salisbury this weekend to find all 12 beautifully decorated trees. More information, and a map, can be found here.
Arundells has opened for a limited time in the run up to Christmas. Take a trip to the impressive property in the Cathedral Close to see it decked out beautifully for Christmas.
If you like your art, there are also a number of exhibitions to take in this weekend:
If you want something Christmassy then there is ‘Simply Christmas’ at the Fisherton Mill Gallery. The annual Christmas exhibition includes something for everybody - paintings, illustrations,
textiles, ceramics, sculpture, beautiful glass lamps and Christmas decorations!
This is the last full weekend to see LINESCAPERS at Salisbury Arts Centre. The exhibition, which explores how humans impact on the landscape, will come to a close on 18th December,
Join Gallery 21 for their last exhibition of the year - ‘Fragile Planet’ by Richard King. Full of vibrant colours, Richard is well known for painting in reverse on glass. His technique has produced some beautiful pictures of local attractions including Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge.
If you are heading into the city centre for any events this weekend, make sure to take time to re-fuel in one of our welcoming eateries. From cafes to family-friendly restaurants and traditional pubs, you can find them in our Traditional Original city.
Head to the Experience Salisbury Taste pages for more.