Lincoln Christmas Market facts for kids
The Lincoln Christmas Market, held in the historic city of Lincoln, England, is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe! It attracts over 250,000 people during its four-day event, making it a very popular place to visit before Christmas.
The market takes place about three weeks before Christmas. It spreads out across Lincoln's old city centre, including the famous castle and cathedral. You can find many stalls selling all sorts of goods. There's also a funfair with a Ferris wheel, outdoor music concerts, and fun traditional events like beer barrel rolling.
Because so many people visit, a special one-way system is set up for walkers around Lincoln's streets. This route even takes you through the grounds of Lincoln Castle, which is a great way to see the historic site.
The Market's Story
The Lincoln Christmas Market was the very first Christmas market ever held in the United Kingdom. It began in 1982.
The idea came from Jim Sullivan, who was a leader at the Lincoln City Council, and two other councillors. They visited Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, which is Lincoln's twin town in Germany. They were really impressed by the Christmas market there. When they came back to Lincoln, they decided to start their own market. It began with just eleven stalls!
The market had to be cancelled in 2010. This was because of very bad weather in Lincoln and the areas around it. It was the first time the market had been cancelled in over 28 years.
In 2017, the last day of the market was cancelled. This was due to a forecast of heavy snow. However, the snow never actually arrived! The Lincoln City Council faced a lot of criticism from the public and the news for their decision.
Getting There by Train
During the market weekend, special trains are often arranged from different parts of Britain. For example, in 2006, extra trains ran between Leicester, Nottingham, and Lincoln railway station.
Other special train trips for the Christmas Market have started from places like Blackpool and London stations such as King's Cross and London Victoria. Sometimes, even carriages from the famous Venice-Simplon Orient Express train have been used for these special journeys!
Images for kids
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Lincoln City Centre during Christmas Market
