Events - 18 Dec 25 | York Museums Trust

Events - 18 Dec 25

Castle Kitchen: Mince Pies – Thu 18 Dec 2025

Date: Thursday 18 December 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Castle Kitchen – Mince Pies
Thursday 18 December 2025 | Demonstrations throughout the day | Included in general admission – Book Now

Join us in the Castle Kitchen for mince pie making. Demonstrations of Tudor and Georgian mince pie recipes will run throughout the day on Thursdays and Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas.

Recipes will also be available to take home so you can have a go yourself over the festive period!

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Gallery Babies – Thu 18 Dec 2025

Date: Thursday 18 December 2025, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gallery Babies

Thursday 18 December 2025, 10am – 12pm, Burton Gallery (term-time only)
Free| Sold out

Drop-in sensory play sessions for pre-walking babies and their grown-ups in the atmospheric surroundings of York Art Gallery.

Using our beautiful sensory toolkit, a collection of colourful squishy sculptural objects, sessions will be gently facilitated, exploring shape, colour and texture.

Gallery Babies is a welcoming and supportive space to relax, bond with your baby and meet other parents and carers, providing a bit of calm and care to your daily routine.

The session starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm, but you can drop in and out at any time. Even after the session has finished, our sensory toolkit will remain on gallery for you to continue to explore with your baby.

These sessions are designed for pre-walking babies, however we understand that you may have your hands full with more than one child! If that’s the case the Studio will be open and can be used as a space to play, read and eat much needed snacks outside of the galleries if needed. Buggy parking and baby changing facilities available.

We are also offering a special offer in Sketch café for anybody attending a session: Hot drink and cake £6.00 and lunch and drink £12.00.

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Green Father Christmas – Thu 18 Dec 2025

Date: Thursday 18 December 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Green Father Christmas
Thursday 18 December 2025 | Throughout the day* | Included in general admission – Book Now

Father Christmas returns to York Castle Museum every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 15 November until Christmas Eve, with an array of performances throughout the day.

A figure the Victorians will have known well, Father Christmas will be dressed in his traditional long green cloak greeting visitors on Kirkgate, bringing fun and jollity to all. Come along with friends and family to talk to him about food and feasting, games, dancing and songs, as well as his many different guises, companions and transport across the world!

*Times will be advertised at the admissions desk on the day.

Please note, this is not a meet Santa experience.

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Festive Talk: A Merry Medieval Christmas – Thu 18 Dec 2025

Date: Thursday 18 December 2025, 11:00 am-11:15 am
Venue: York Art Gallery

A Merry Medieval Christmas
Thursday 18 December | 11am – 11:15am
Included in general admission | Book Now

This short on-gallery talk is part of our Christmas Talk Series at York Art Gallery, come along to hear about some of our incredible works – with a festive twist!

Discover how Christmas in the Middle Ages transformed a month of Advent fasting into twelve days of feasting, music, games and communal celebration across all levels of society. From royal banquets and carefully prepared seasonal dishes to village mumming and the Feast of Fools, you’ll learn about the traditions and customs that shaped a medieval Christmas.

Please note that talks are subject to staff availability on the day.

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Festive Talk: Gillian Lowndes and her Abstract Sculptures – Thu 18 Dec 2025

Date: Thursday 18 December 2025, 2:00 pm-2:15 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gillian Lowndes and her Abstract Sculptures
Thursday 18 December | 2pm – 2:15pm
Included in general admission | Book Now

This short on-gallery talk is part of our Christmas Talk Series at York Art Gallery, come along to hear about some of our incredible works – with a festive twist!

Discover more about Gillian Lowndes’ ceramic works and her relationship with the collector Anthony Shaw. Each year, Lowndes followed the tradition of giving Christmas cards by creating a unique, handmade card especially for him.

Please note that talks are subject to staff availability on the day.

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