The UK’s largest outdoor winter market is coming to Manchester
The Winter Wonderland experience will feature a Christmas forest, a steaming bratwurst grill and traditional hog roast, plus artisanal traders and loads more
A huge outdoor winter wonderland is coming to Manchester’s Escape to Freight Island this winter – and it sounds immense.
Billed as the UK’s largest fully-heated outdoor winter market, the Winter Wonderland experience will feature a Christmas forest, stalls from local artisanal traders, and delicious festive street food to Manchester over the festive period.
From the Great North Pie Co. to a steaming bratwurst grill and traditional hog roast, it’s all going on down at Escape to Freight Island – with further stalls selling mulled wine, hot chocolate, cheese, and hot cider.
Image: Escape to Freight Island
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as the team also have a huge programme of festive events booked over the coming months.
Kicking off with a huge fireworks display on 5 November, there’ll be a mix of ticketed and free events running throughout the period including a bonfire night knees-up, Christmas workshops, karaoke, family raves, cabaret, live music, comedy and movie nights.
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Big bookings to look forward to including a Homobloc takeover (7 November), a night with Craig Charles (28 November), and the return of the Untold Orchestra – who have become well known for different themed musical nights paying homage to iconic musicians.
Image: Escape to Freight Island
The Manchester-based collaborative orchestra will take to Freight’s outdoor stage every Wednesday throughout November and December, bringing all your festive favourites to life with their musical restyling of classic Christmas anthems.
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Tuesday nights, meanwhile, will see the introduction of a new comedy night showcasing some local talent from the Manchester scene as well as a few from further afield.
Last year’s map for the 2020 the Winter Market at Escape to Freight Island / Image: Escape to Freight Island
Further entertainment to look forward to throughout the season includes performances from the likes of Fun DMC, Teachrex, Playhouse Project, Family Gorgeous, Guilty Pleasures and Born to be Wild Child.
Bookings are now live for the Winter Island, with outdoor reservations starting from 5 November. Book your slot here.
Cheshire Oaks to debut first-ever ice rink with iconic Christmas tree in the middle to skate around
Emily Sergeant
Cheshire Oaks has unveiled its big plans for the upcoming festive season.
With less than 100 days until Christmas is here, and festive events being announced left, right, and centre, Cheshire Oaks has now joined in on the action, and for the first time ever this year will be adding a bespoke ice rink into the mix, which is set to become centrepiece of its festive celebrations this Christmas season.
The Designer Outlet shopping mall is already known and loved in the North West for its Christmas events each year, and 2025 is set to be no different.
The highly-anticipated ice rink attraction will launch in late October, and it’s already promising to be an ‘unforgettable experience’ that organisers say blends the timeless joy of ice skating with contemporary design and community spirit.
A brand-new ice rink is coming to Cheshire Oaks with a big Christmas tree in the middle to skate around / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of the new ice rink will be a custom-designed ice path that gracefully weaves around Cheshire Oaks’ iconic oak Christmas tree in the centre.
The rink itself will be nestled within a dedicated Christmas events space at the shopping village.
“We are incredibly excited to soon introduce this bespoke ice rink experience to our guests,” says Kenny Murray, who is the General Manager at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet.
“It’s more than just a place to skate – it will be a destination where families and friends can create cherished festive moments.”
There’ll be lots of other fan-favourite festive activities returning too / Credit: Supplied
The new ice rink will officially open on Friday 24 October, and tickets will be available soon, with the option to book in advance online or on the day, so keep your eyes peeled.
Alongside the exciting new ice rink addition will, of course, be some of Cheshire Oaks’ fan-favourite Christmas attractions – including the ‘The Big Wheel’ and ‘Santa in the Sky’ experiences, as well as festive film screenings, and the massively popular Winter Village.
The Winter Village is the perfect place to head to if you’re in need of a break from gift shopping and somewhere to soak up the Christmas spirit, as here you can grab a cosy seat and tuck into some traditional German bratwurst from the swing grill, warm up with mulled wine at the bar, and marvel at the UK’s tallest Christmas tree.
You can also book a little wooden hut to relax in, with each hut accommodating up to six people.
The Big Wheel is also one of Cheshire Oaks’ best-loved experiences each year, as here you can simply sit back, relax, and enjoy watching the festivities unfold below you, with each flight taking 10 minutes, or you can upgrade to Santa in the Sky to meet the main man in the most unique way possible.
Find out everything happening at Cheshire Oaks this Christmas here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Huge vintage home show to take over historic Manchester building next month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most historic buildings is set to host a huge home show full of vintage finds next month.
The Vintage Home Show is taking over Victoria Baths for their second event of the year.
For anyone looking to add a retro touch to their homes, this is a chance to feast your eyes on a carefully-curated collection of furniture, homeware, ceramics, artworks, vinyl records, and more stocked by more than 60 knowledgeable sellers in a welcoming atmosphere amid the empty Grade II-listed swimming pool.
Planning to renovate in a vintage style? Or looking for one missing piece of the puzzle? This event can help you track down that something special for your home.
From one-off minimalist pieces, to mass-market retro and kitsch classics, with prices for items starting from as little as £1, you’ll have the chance to shop the collections of dozens of quality independent dealers from right around the UK, all under one historic roof.
Browse a selection of vibrant stalls featuring pieces spanning from the mid-century decades to the bold brightness of the 1990s, and everything in between.
No matter what your budget, you’ll find that gorgeous something to suit your impeccable taste.
Once you’ve finished shopping everything you need to transform your home, you can stop off at Victoria Baths’ on-site cafe to treat yourself to a selection of cakes, savouries, pastries, and soup, as well as both hot and cold drinks.
A huge vintage home show will be taking over the historic Victoria Baths in Manchester next month / Credit: Vintage Home Show
The Vintage Home Fair will take over Victoria Baths on Sunday 5 October, kicking off from 10:30am for keen shoppers after ‘Early Bird’ entry, while ‘Standard Entry’ starts at 11am and runs through the day until 3:30pm.
Due to popularity, the event will be operating a timed ticket entry process, that way organisers can manage the numbers of visitors in the building at any one time to allow everyone a chance to see everything.
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Tickets are now on sale, priced anywhere from £2 to £6 depending on the time you go, so you simply need to arrive anytime within your allocated hour and stay as long as you wish.
Georgina Pellant -
5th October 2021 
