Events in York, Visit York, Local News Yorkshire, Things to Do in York – Oneandother.com

I love the Christmas lights! Always get full of excitement when I see them and such is the buzz I get, I can almost tolerate the tourists... Although I accept that the lights aren't the Disney inspired ones we all hope to have, I think the council are damned if they do, damned if they don't. If they went all out then the NIMBY brigade would be out "my taxes pay for this when my bin only gets collected every fortnight..."

I'm not sure how the lights are funded but maybe if the businesses of York got together and put some funds aside for Christmas lights and then some sort of subsidy from the council to get some really fantastic displays. It would drive publicity, footfall and subsequent turnover and a boost to the local economy.

I think it's the same band but pretty sure Bogus Brothers are from Selby ;)

I have only lived in York for a handful of years, and overall the city has more than impressed me, however it gets to this time of year and once again I walk the cities beautiful city streets and I am disappointed of the Christmas atmosphere. I am not going to reminisce about Christmas decorations when I was younger, because I am more than likely to have slightly exaggerated the fairy tale feel in my head, but never the less, even coming from a small town in Shropshire, each year the town manages to go all out and embraces the Christmas spirit.

I went to the Coppergate Christmas light switch on and frankly, I was disappointed, the crowd was large, filling the whole of the Coppergate square and I suspect many like myself were expecting so much more. After a short back and forth conversation with Berwick Kaler from the York Theatre Royal Panto, the lights were turned on after a 10 second count down, after they were turned on, the audience clapped and left the area. Although this was a fantastic experience for the younger children, I couldn’t help but feel it was a little bit rushed.

Earlier this year Cllr Sonja Crisp of City of York Council said of the soon to arrive festivities,“ York is one of the most Christmassy cities in the UK" ... Really?

The same evening the Coppergate Christmas light switch on took place was also the same evening that late-night shopping opened in the city (which when walking around the city only a handful of shops were open for trading), and a ‘Winter-Wonderland’ was to take over Parliament Street, with the promise of snow covered streets and activities. Once again, it fell short of the mark, the ‘snow-covered’ streets were a single (and small) snow cannon out of a Marks & Spencer window, which was only powerful enough to send a few snowflakes any further than the Marks & Spencer entrance. Currently outside The York Art Gallery is York’s more permanent Winter Wonderland, but looks decidedly un-festive on the exterior.

Please don’t get me wrong, I love York, the city is fantastic, but for a city that relies on tourism and a large source of income to the city, when I think of Christmas in York I picture chocolate box scenes, with holly, wreaths, lights and a decent tree. But in reality you get, a few fairy lights in the trees and the city being fragmented in to different areas with different qualities of displays. Personally I feel Christmas is all about communities but walking the streets of York this Christmas, you will see half-hearted displays and a lack of continuity. There are some aspect of Christmas I love about York, but it all gets over-shadowed by the lack of City Centre Christmas spirit.