Yorkshire Day Market

Yorkshire Day Market takes over Parliament Street from 30 July to 2 August 2026, as part of the city's wider Yorkshire Day celebrations. It's a few days of local makers and Yorkshire-produced goods lining the street, so it's a good spot to pick up something made in the region rather than something shipped in from halfway across the world.

Beyond the stalls, there's a whole 'Seaside Fun' area set up across Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square. It's built for families, with traditional fairground attractions, a giant sandpit, and face painting for the kids. If you're there with little ones, that's where they'll likely end up while you're browsing the market. There's also a 'seagull trail' that leads you from the seaside setup over to the Shambles Market, so you can make a proper afternoon of it and hit both spots in one go.

Yorkshire Day itself has been an official thing since 1985, when the first official civic celebration was held right here in York, though the tradition goes back to 1975 when the Yorkshire Ridings Society first started marking it. This market is one of the ways the city celebrates that, and it sits alongside the rest of the summer offering around town, with the Shambles Food Court and the Visit York Visitor Information Centre nearby if you're planning a full day out.

It's a family-friendly affair, so it works as well for a quick stroll through the stalls as it does for a proper day out with the kids. Entry to the market and the street activities is free, and it runs from 30 July through to 2 August, so you've got a few days to fit it in.