Hull's Victorian Christmas opens with array of festive stalls and horse and carriage rides

Hull Museum’s popular Victorian Christmas is returning for this year's festive season. The event will be bringing traditional activities and entertainment to the Museums Quarter, from next weekend.

On Saturday, Nove,ber 23 and Sunday, November 24, from 11am to 4pm, the event will be packed full of activities and performances for the whole family to enjoy. A traditional fairground carousel will offer rides to visitors who will also have the chance to try some traditional Victorian transport with horse and carriage rides available through Hull’s Old Town.

Visitors can also interact with Victorian and Dickensian characters as they wander and perform throughout the Streetlife Museum and the Museums Quarter garden, with Queen Victoria and her Prince consort, as well as Ebeneezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit all taking part. A number of the short performances throughout the day will be British Sign Language interpreted.

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Live festive music can also be enjoyed throughout the weekend with performances from the fantastic Hull Visual Choir. On Saturday there will also be performances from Barton Community Brass Band and Hull Choral Union, whilst on Sunday, the Beverley Brass Band and All for One Choir will entertain visitors.

Alongside live music, children’s imaginations will be sparked through interactive storytelling sessions, a selection of which will be British Sign Language interpreted. Fun festive craft activities will be on offer, with families able to make their own Christmas crackers and Christmas top hats and crowns.

At 1pm each day there will be Christmas hat competition. Children can enter the hat they have made with a chance to win a family ticket (up to four people) for Hull New Theatre’s 2024 panto, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A number of pre-bookable relaxed craft sessions and relaxed storytelling sessions will also be on offer each day, designed for children who have a disability, are neurodivergent, or experience anxiety, who would find it difficult to attend the busier drop-in sessions.

A selection of delicious festive hot and cold food and drink will be on offer throughout the weekend and visitors will also be able to do a bit of Christmas shopping at the selection of stalls selling handmade gifts. Gift shops at the Hull and East Riding Museum and Streetlife Museum will also be open as usual and stocked full of gift ideas from toys, books to beautiful trinkets and much more.

All activities are free, apart from the carousel and horse and carriage rides which will be £2 per person. Councillor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure said: “The Victoria Christmas event is a wonderful event and always incredibly well attended. Our Old Town lends itself perfectly to the theme and I know visitors really enjoy traveling back in time to enjoy Victorian Christmas activities.”