3,000 visitors from across Yorkshire attended this year’s Ripon Cathedral Christmas Gift and Food Fair. £19,500 was raised towards the Ripon Cathedral Music Trust, an appeal to raise £5 million launched in December 2014.
Over 100 stalls selling gifts and food created a seasonal atmosphere while a variety of local musical groups entertained the crowds. Ripon Cathedral Primary School, Ripon Grammar School, Ripon Stage Academy, the Skelldale Singers, the Cowthorpe Handbell Ringers, a Rock Choir and Ripon Trinity Singers all helped to create a magical setting for the fair.
300 families and their children visited Santa’s Grotto which was created by volunteers from the Wolseley Centre in Ripon. 650 turkey sandwiches were served washed down by hundreds of cups of tea and coffee. Children’s craft activities, face painting, a raffle and a tombola were also big attractions.
Margaret Hammond, the Development Campaign Manager said,
“The event marks the start of the Christmas celebrations for the local community. It is wonderful to see so many families both inside the Cathedral and also shopping in the city. The Christmas Light Switch On also took place on the Market Square which attracted a large number of families and visitors to Ripon”.
“There are so many individuals to thank for helping to make this year’s Christmas Fair:
The Dean raised a record £1,000 selling raffle tickets. Volunteers included the Dean’s brother in law, who baked so many wonderful Christmas Cakes, and many who helped on the day. Local Ripon businesses too, including Hemingway’s, Cocked Hat Farm Foods, the Old Deanery. A working party from the 21 Engineers at Claro Barracks helped set up the event and a group of employees from the Ripon office of Wolseley UK. The staff at the Cathedral and everyone worked so hard and helped in so many different ways to make sure the event was a huge success.”
You can find out more about the Ripon Cathedral Music Trust here.