Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID) has announced that a second Christmas late night shopping event will take place on Thursday 5th December in the town centre.
Over 60 of the town’s shops and businesses will stay open until 7.30pm to help locals and visitors find gifts for loved ones this Christmas and enjoy a festive shopping experience with live entertainment and family-oriented activities.
Ilkley BID introduced late night shopping in 2023 and following feedback from the town businesses who participated, there was a clear desire to bring it back this year.
To add to the festive cheer, Ilkley duo Man Cave will be performing in the town centre and Nick Babb from Your Ilkley Radio will bring you a flavour of the event on his Drivetime show.
There will also be a very special ‘Spot the Elf’ competition to keep the children and their grown-ups entertained. A dedicated Elf Trail will lead them to Santa’s cheeky elves which will be hiding in some of the town’s shops with one lucky entrant winning a £50 Ilkley Gift Card.
Many of the participating businesses will be offering a free festive tipple, mince pies or nibbles to their late night shoppers, as well as discounts and special offers, and some local restaurants will have special deals for those wishing to round off their evening’s shopping with a meal.
Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Ilkley BID Manager, said: “We’re delighted that so many businesses are involved in our Christmas shopping event giving customers more time to browse, shop, and enjoy the festive atmosphere. It’s a great way to bring people together and encourage them to shop locally, and the extended hours until 7.30pm also provide additional flexibility for customers who may not normally be able to shop or visit the town’s businesses during the week.
“The feedback from businesses and shoppers about last year’s event was very positive and the consensus was to make this event bigger and better than before with more live entertainment and activities. We have introduced our Elf competition to boost footfall in other areas of the town away from The Grove. Hopefully our shoppers will discover new shops and businesses they may not have visited before, with the added bonus of course of a chance to win a £50 Ilkley Gift Card.
“We’re really looking forward to the evening and we’re certain that it will be a memorable occasion which puts everyone in the mood for Christmas.”
Businesses opening late include retailers Attic Womenswear, Boyes, Fig & Willow, Games Crusade, The Bath House, The Art Shop and WH Smith; jewellery shops Azendi and Nicholson’s; gift, design and homeware shops Betty’s, COVET, Nora’s, Richard Grafton Interiors and Seddon & Davison; beauty services Beauty in Bloom and Jacqui Mac Aesthetics and professional services Brooke Financial and Dale Eddison.
For the full list of businesses and their offers, visit: discoverilkley.co.uk/late-night-christmas-shopping/