Bishop's Stortford Christmas markets: Fayre Sat 5 Dec

Bishop’s Stortford’s own Christmas market is the Christmas Fayre, on Saturday 5 December 2026, 9.30am to 4.30pm, with over 100 stalls across North Street, Market Square, Potter Street and South Street (Bishop’s Stortford Town Council). If you want a bigger day out, two large markets run on the last weekend of November: Hertford Castle (27 to 29 November) and Knebworth (27 to 29 November).

The dates at a glance

Every date above was checked on the organiser’s own website on 6 October 2026.

Bishop’s Stortford Christmas Fayre: Saturday 5 December

The town council runs it, and it is the big one for the town. On the day, over 100 stalls join the regular Thursday and Saturday market traders and the monthly farmers’ and craft market. The council lists handmade gifts, jewellery, candles, jams, chutneys, cakes and fudge, festive food and drink stalls, music and entertainment through the town centre, and says Santa “will also be popping by”.

• When: Saturday 5 December 2026, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
• Where: North Street, Market Square, Potter Street and South Street, all pedestrianised for the day.
• Cost: free to walk round.
• Programme: not out yet. The council’s page still says “View the 2026 programme here (coming soon!)”.
• Road closure: the bottom of South Street through to the end of North Street is shut from 6am to 7pm, with no vehicle access at all in those hours.

Stall applications are open: a standard 3m by 3m pitch is £65 (£40 for Bishop’s Stortford BID members) and a catering pitch is £110 (£85 for BID members). The events team is on 01279 715000 or events@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk. Our Christmas Fayre and lights page has the full detail on the road closure, the new lights and who is paying for them.

Do not confuse it with the lights switch-on. The Christmas lights come on three weeks earlier, on Sunday 15 November, at the BID’s Festive Fun Day. That is a family afternoon with performances by the Christmas tree, face painting and shop offers, not a Christmas market. The BID has not published its times yet (Discover Stortford).

Parking on Fayre day

Saturday is a weekday tariff day. Northgate End, CM23 2ES, is the cheapest all-day option at £4.40. Jackson Square and Link Road are short stay only, up to five hours. Rates for every council car park are on our parking in Bishop’s Stortford page, and anything else shut that weekend will be on roadworks and travel.

Hertford: Christmas Gala and Castle Christmas Market, 27 to 29 November

Hertford Town Council runs a full festive weekend (Hertford Town Council).

• Christmas Gala, Friday 27 November: market stalls, food and fairground rides in the town centre from 3pm, carollers on Parliament Square, live entertainment on the Salisbury Square stage from 4.30pm, and the lights switch-on at 6pm with the Mayor of Hertford.
• Hertford Castle Christmas Market, Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: stalls selling homeware, crafts, jewellery and gifts in the castle grounds, with food and drink, fairground rides and live entertainment.
• Castle market opening times: Friday 3.30pm to 8pm, Saturday 11am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm.

The council has not published an entry charge for the castle market, and says further details will be added.

Knebworth Christmas Fair, 27 to 29 November

The biggest Christmas shopping event in the county, by its own account: almost 300 stallholders in the barns at Knebworth, four shopping marquees, Christmas cabins and outdoor stalls, plus a food and drink marquee (Knebworth Christmas Fair).

• When: Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November 2026, 10am to 4pm each day. Premium ticket holders get in from 9.30am.
• Where: Knebworth Park, sat nav SG1 2AX, just off the A1(M). Parking is free.
• Tickets: adults £10.50, over-60s £10, children aged 5 to 15 £5, under-5s free. You book an arrival window (10am to 11am, 11am to noon, or noon to 1.30pm); entry from 1.30pm is cheaper at £8. A Premium ticket for any one day is £13.50 and Premium Plus for all three days £16.50, both with early entry. A £1.65 fee applies per order (Aztec Events box office).
• Rules: no dogs, and buggies are not allowed inside the barns and marquees; there is a free buggy park at the barn entrance.

Sawbridgeworth: lights switch-on, Saturday 28 November

Sawbridgeworth Town Council’s diary for 2026 lists the Christmas lights switch-on in the town centre on Saturday 28 November from 4pm, with the lights on at 6.30pm (Sawbridgeworth Town Council). The council has not said whether stalls will be part of it this year. It is on 01279 724537.

Saffron Walden: indoor Christmas markets

The town’s tourist information centre lists an Indoor Christmas Market on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November, and again on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December, plus a Light Switch On Event on Friday 20 November (Visit Saffron Walden). The listings carry no venue, times or programme yet, so check before you travel; the centre is on 01799 524002.

Not announced yet

• Harlow Christmas Market. Harlow Council’s page still shows last year’s market, which ran in log cabins on Broad Walk from 13 to 21 December 2025, 10am to 8pm daily (Harlow Council). No 2026 dates are up.
• Hatfield Park. Its events calendar shows nothing Christmas-related for November or December 2026 yet; the only market listed is the Old Hatfield Farmers Market on Sunday 15 November (Hatfield Park).

For grottos, the panto and Santa’s sleigh, see our panto page (which also covers the South Mill Arts grotto) and the Round Table Santa sleigh. If you are travelling by train in December, our Christmas trains page will carry Greater Anglia’s Christmas travel advice once it is published.

What is still to come

The Christmas Fayre programme from the town council, Festive Fun Day times from the BID, and prices for the Hertford Castle market. We will update this page as each one is published.