50p parking for Small Business Saturday,  Christmas at Newstead Abbey, support our independents, Festiv_alt and the Etsy market, Christmas Lights Switch On's and more!

Experience Christmas at Newstead Abbey

One weekend left! 4 - 6 December 11am - 4pm (4 Dec 2pm - 7pm)

£5 adults, under 16 FREE

Experience the magic of Christmas in the truly gorgeous setting of Newstead Abbey. Historic rooms will sparkle with Christmas lights and impressive floral displays. Visit the craft fair in the Cloisters (Saturday and Sunday only) to pick up Christmas gifts, and enjoy a treat in the Abbey Café. Don't forget to visit Santa to share your Christmas list (£3 per child).

>>Find out more

Support our independents!

Small Business Saturday: 5 December

Nottingham has a great variety of small and independent businesses, and spending your money locally has lots of benefits for Nottingham. But they need YOUR help! This Saturday is Small Business Saturday, an annual celebration of our brilliant local independents, and a reminder to shop local whenever you can. 

• Find a local independent (like Handmade Nottingham, Page 45, Debbie Bryan, Hopkinson, The Treat Kitchen, and many more!) and support them!
• Pledge your support online
• Visit intu Broadmarsh this Saturday for the chance to race on a giant Scalextric at Threads

Offer: Park on Small Business Saturday (from 8am to 8pm) using the RingGo app and your parking is just 50p! Find out more

Etsy: Made Local Christmas Market Saturday 5 December at Nottingham Trent Students Union A great opportunity to support local independent businesses, all in one place!  The Christmas Market, taking place from 10am - 5pm, will bring the best Nottingham-based designers and makers together in one place, for the perfect opportunity to find unique and one-off Christmas gifts and homeware items.  Get crafty on the day too by joining in with the craft workshops. >>Find out more

The Great Christmas Show at Wollaton Hall

Last weekend! 6 & 7 Dec

£5 adults, £2 children

 Don't miss a fun festive weekend at Wollaton Hall, with:

•  Food and Drink Stalls
• Workshops showing you how to wrap the perfect present, decorate a Christmas cake, and more
• Santa, plus Elsa, Olaf and other favourites
• Live music, including the Schools Christmas Carol Competition
• Kid's Zone with toys, soft play and games 

 >>Find out more

Festiv_alt Nottingham: 5 December Cobden Chambers 12noon - 5pm A pop-up Christmas Market with a twist! Swap commercialism for community this Christmas and have a great day out while supporting local entrepreneurs and craftspeople! Visit the Festiv_alt market for: Live music (including a Christmas Carol Singalong!) Amazing art Christmas gifts  All created and performed by under 25s!  >>Find out more

Woodthorpe Plant Shop now open!

Open daily 9am - 3pm

The award-winning Nottingham in Bloom nursery at Woodthorpe Grange Park has opened to the public for:

• Christmas Trees
• Plants 
• Gifts

Plus, join us for a FREE Festive Fun Day on Saturday 12 December, with music, refreshments, crafts, food, and more!

 >>Find the Plant Shop at Woodthorpe Park, Sherwood, NG5 4HA

Take the Tram to the Winter Wonderland

Nottingham's magical Winter Wonderland is ready to be explored, with over fifty stalls selling crafts and gifts, plus hot food and drinks. Why not take the Tram for the easiest way to visit the Winter Wonderland? The 5 for £5 group ticket allows two adults and up to three children to travel for just £5. 

Book your tickets for ice skating

The ice rink is back in the Old Market Square - book your skating session now to avoid disappointment.

>>Find out more

Christmas in Nottingham

 There's so much to do this festive season!

• Find out what's on in your local area for Christmas
• Parking offers for Christmas shoppers, plus offers for the bus and tram
• What's on at heritage sites, and parks this Christmas  

Bookmark our Christmas page for the latest information and What's On.

Plus, don't miss the Christmas Lights Switch On in your local area

• 2 Dec: St Ann's
• 2 Dec: Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey
• 3 Dec: Wollaton West
• 3 Dec: Hyson Green
• 4 Dec: Clifton
• 7 Dec: Bulwell
• 10 Dec: Dales
• 10 Dec: Bilborough

AND these Christmas Fairs!

• Wed 2 Dec: Age UK Winter Social 
• Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December from 10am - 5pm at Nottingham Contemporary - Craft.Design.Contemporary (FREE entry)

Community Food Swap at Green's Windmill  Saturday 6 December 1pm - 3pm Come and explore Green's Windmill (entry is FREE) and enjoy our Community Food Swap! Bring along homemade, home grown or foraged foods, and swap them with other people - the more you bring, the more you'll go home with!  >>Find out more and register for your FREE ticket

Get to your event for just £2 on the tram! Did you know you can travel to and from ticketed events for just £2 using the Event Ticket on NET Trams?  If you're going to a ticketed events at: Theatre Royal and Royal Centre Nottingham Contemporary Nottingham Playhouse Capital FM Arena The Bodega, Rescue Rooms, Rock City, or Stealth City Ground and many more! Just select the 'event ticket' option at the ticket machine, and be sure to have your tram and event ticket with you.

Christmas Weekend and FREE entry at Nottingham Castle

12 & 13 December

Enjoy FREE entry at Nottingham Castle, plus a variety of fun activities:

• Christmas Craft Fair in the Long Gallery
• Kids can meet Santa in the Bastion (£3) for a photo and present
• Live festive music

 >>Find out more

Dick Whittington - now on at Nottingham Playhouse! Panto season is here, so don't miss out on tickets for this year's magical Christmas panto at Nottingham Playhouse! While you're there, look out for collections for our Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a charity which provides a free book every month, to every child in Nottingham during their first five years. >>Get tickets

More events coming up:

• Tuesday 1 December at The Vine: Crafts at the Vine
• Wednesday 2 December at Nottingham Trent University: Lunchtime Concert
• Friday 3 December at Clifton Library: The Christmas Carol, From Ancient to Modern
• Friday 3 December at Victoria Embankment: Best Foot Forward Walk
• Saturday 5 December at Highfields Park: Restoration Ramble
• Monday 7 Dec at Hart's Hotel: Christmas Wreath Making 

Have you downloaded the Nottingham Cave Trail app yet? It's FREE! Nottingham’s unique system of man-made caves have played a pivotal role in the city’s history. Now, for the first time ever, you can access the previously hidden labyrinths below our streets, using a fantastic new app – designed to give you a unique insight into what lies beneath. Using high-tech archaeological scanning equipment, the Nottingham Caves App is packed with information on the caves – featuring exclusive flythrough videos, photos and historical information. >>Find out more and download

Save the date for Light Night!

 Light Night returns on Friday 5 February 2016 and we're already hearing about lots of fantastic activities that will be on. Keep up with the latest news on the Light Night Event page. 

with friends, family and colleagues
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