York Museums Trust

Events

Community Birdwatch – Wed 19 Nov 2025

Community Birdwatch

Date: Wednesday 19 November 2025, 10:30 am-11:30 am
Venue: York Museum Gardens

Community Birdwatch

19 November 2025 | 10.30am – 11:30am | Free

Join us for a community bird watch in the gardens and look out for the diverse range of birds in the garden.

Meet at the Birdwatching Station behind the Rock Garden.

Suitable for all ages, no pre booking required.

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Castle Kitchen: Mince Pies – Thu 20 Nov 2025

Date: Thursday 20 November 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Castle Kitchen – Mince Pies
Thursday 20 November 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 20 Nov 2025

Gallery Babies

Date: Thursday 20 November 2025, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gallery Babies
Thursdays, 10-12pm*, Burton Gallery (term-time only)
Pilot from Thursday 13th November – Thursday 18th December
Free| tickets coming soon
*Please note the session on Thursday 11th December will run from 11:00-13:00.
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 20 Nov 2025

Green Father Christmas

Date: Thursday 20 November 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Green Father Christmas
Thursday 20 November 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, and Tuesday 23 December, 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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Scrooge – Fri 21 Nov 2025

Scrooge

Date: Friday 21 November 2025, 12:30 pm-4:30 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Friday 21 November 2025 | 12:30pm – 12:55pm, 3:30pm – 3:55pm and 4:00pm – 4:25pm | Included in general admission – Book Now

This 25-minute family-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol will run every Friday from 21 November until 12 December, with performances at 12:30, 3:30pm and 4:00pm.

Join Ebenezer Scrooge on Kirkgate for a journey of redemption, generosity and joy, in an immersive one-man show of the classic Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol.

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Castle Kitchen: Mince Pies – Sat 22 Nov 2025

Date: Saturday 22 November 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Castle Kitchen – Mince Pies
Saturday 22 November 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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Green Father Christmas – Sat 22 Nov 2025

Green Father Christmas

Date: Saturday 22 November 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Green Father Christmas
Saturday 22 November 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, and Tuesday 23 December, 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 Wreath Workshop – Sat 22 Nov 2025

Date: Saturday 22 November 2025, 10:30 am-1:30 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Festive Wreath Workshop
Saturday 22 November 2025 | 10.30am – 1:30pm | £30pp* | Book now

*Materials and tools are provided and no experience is necessary. Refreshments are included. Ticket includes admission to York Castle Museum on the date of the workshop.
Come along to make a traditional Christmas wreath for your door or as a table centrepiece with Mandy Barker of Wedding Blossoms, York. You’ll use locally grown seasonal materials to make the base then add the embellishments you choose to reflect your own style.
Mandy has over 20 years of experience of floristry and loves decorating for Christmas with wreaths of all sizes, from front doors to churches and cathedrals.

Ages 16+ (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).

There is an additional Festive Wreath Workshop, Wednesday 10 December| 10:30am – 13:30pm | £30pp* | Book here

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Sunday Sounds: The Ran Tanners – Sun 23 Nov 2025

Date: Sunday 23 November 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Sunday Sounds: The Ran Tanners
Sunday 23 November 2025 | Throughout the day | Included in general admission – Book Now

Enjoy live carols and tunes throughout the museum every Sunday from 16 November until 21 December 2025.

Get in the festive spirit with live, energetic performances of carols and tunes throughout the day from The Ran Tanners.

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

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Victorian Carol Singers – Mon 24 Nov 2025

Victorian Carol Singers

Date: Monday 24 November 2025, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Victorian Carol Singers
Monday 24 November 2025 | Throughout the day* | Included in general admission – Book Now

Victorian Carol Singers will perform every Monday from 17 November until 22 December, with performances throughout the day.

Get in the festive spirit and experience Christmas tradition with Same Difference Arts with their atmospheric live performances on Kirkgate.

Inspired by traditional Christmas carols, performances will feature classic ditties from the period including ‘O, Christmas Tree’, ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ and ‘Hark the Herald’, certain to get everyone in the festive mood.

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

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