Hyde Hall's gift fair is 6 to 8 November, Hylands 19 November and the Cathedral 5 December; the Cabins are not in the programme. Updated November 2026.

Four Chelmsford Christmas markets now have 2026 dates. The Christmas Gift Fair at RHS Hyde Hall runs Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, a makers market at Patch in Gray’s Yard is part of the lights switch-on on Sunday 15 November, Christmas at The Stables at Hylands Estate is on Thursday 19 November, 5pm to 9pm, and the Cathedral Christmas Market is on Saturday 5 December, 10am to 3pm. The city centre’s Christmas Cabins, which ran for more than three weeks last year, are not in the 2026 programme.

Overview

  • Confirmed: Christmas Gift Fair, RHS Hyde Hall, 6 to 8 November, 10am to 3pm. Normal garden admission; RHS members free.
  • Confirmed: switch-on day, Sunday 15 November, from 12pm: a makers market inside Patch in Gray’s Yard, food stalls and mulled wine on the High Street.
  • Confirmed: Christmas at The Stables, Hylands Estate, Thursday 19 November 2026, 5pm to 9pm.
  • Confirmed: Cathedral Christmas Market, Chelmsford Cathedral, Saturday 5 December 2026, 10am to 3pm, with more stalls than before in St Cedd’s Hall.
  • Not announced: the Christmas Cabins in Tindal Square. Chelmsford For You’s 2026 Christmas programme does not mention them. In 2025 there were 16 cabins, from late November to just before Christmas.
  • Village fayres at South Woodham Ferrers, Danbury, Stock and Writtle fell between 22 November and 6 December last year.

Updated 28 October: Chelmsford For You has published its 2026 Christmas programme. It confirms a makers market at Patch on switch-on day, Sunday 15 November, and lists the RHS Hyde Hall Christmas Gift Fair, 6 to 8 November. It does not include the Christmas Cabins.

Updated 20 October: Chelmsford Cathedral has listed its 2026 Christmas market for Saturday 5 December. The Christmas Cabins and switch-on markets are still unannounced.

What is confirmed, and what is not

Chelmsford Christmas markets, status as at 28 October 2026
Market20262025
Christmas Gift Fair, RHS Hyde HallFri 6 to Sun 8 Nov, 10am to 3pmNot checked
Christmas at The Stables, HylandsThu 19 Nov, 5pm to 9pmReturning event
Cathedral Christmas MarketSat 5 Dec, 10am to 3pmReturning event
Christmas Cabins, Tindal SquareNot in the 2026 programme28 or 29 Nov to 22 or 23 Dec
Switch-on day markets, city centreSun 15 Nov, from 12pm: makers market at Patch, food stallsSun 16 Nov, from 10am
South Woodham Ferrers Christmas FayreNot announcedSat 22 Nov, 1pm to 5pm
Danbury Christmas FayreNot announcedSat 29 Nov, 12pm to 4pm
Stock Christmas FayreNot announcedSat 6 Dec, 12pm to 6pm

Christmas at The Stables, Hylands Estate

Hylands Estate says it is bringing the evening back for 2026, with live music and local traders selling artisan food, drinks and gifts (Hylands Estate).

  • When: Thursday 19 November 2026, 5pm to 9pm.
  • Where: The Stables, Hylands Park, London Road, CM2 8WQ.
  • Also open: the artists and makers who work at The Stables will open their studios on the ground and first floors.
  • Organiser: Hylands Estate, on 01245 605500.

The listing gives no entry price and says nothing about parking charges for the evening. We will add both when the listing is updated.

The Stables also runs Christmas craft workshops through November and December, including stained glass and warm glass days. They are listed on the Hylands events calendar.

Cathedral Christmas Market, Saturday 5 December

Chelmsford Cathedral calls its market “one of the highlights of the city’s festive calendar” and has listed the 2026 date (Chelmsford Cathedral).

  • When: Saturday 5 December 2026, 10am to 3pm.
  • Where: inside Chelmsford Cathedral, New Street, CM1 1TY, with extra sellers this year in St Cedd’s Hall in the Chapter House.
  • What: artisans and makers selling seasonal decorations, jewellery, textiles, handmade crafts and food, plus a pop-up café under the Tree of Life mural.

The listing gives no entry charge. The cathedral is a short walk from the station and the High Street.

The Christmas Cabins

The wooden cabins are run by Chelmsford For You, the city centre business group. It has published nothing for 2026. What it has said about the first two years:

  • 2024 was the first year, with 17 cabins.
  • 2025 had 16 cabins in Tindal Square, outside Shire Hall, selling street food, sweet treats and gifts from local makers.

Its 2026 Christmas programme, published in October, lists the switch-on, the panto, concerts, light trails and Festive Fun for Farleigh, but no cabins (Chelmsford For You, Christmas 2026).

The group’s own two pages gave different 2025 dates. Its trader page says Friday 28 November to Tuesday 23 December, open daily from 10am (Chelmsford For You, trader applications). Its Christmas in the City page says Saturday 29 November to Monday 22 December (Chelmsford For You).

Both pages still describe 2025. The trader page priced a cabin at £1,800 plus VAT.

Markets on switch-on day

The Christmas lights switch-on is the city centre’s biggest market day. In 2025, on Sunday 16 November, Chelmsford For You listed:

  • 24 Christmas market stalls at The Meadows shopping centre from 10am
  • a Christmas makers market hosted by Patch from 11am

Source: Chelmsford For You, switch-on 2025.

The 2026 switch-on is Sunday 15 November, festivities from 12pm and the lights at 5pm. The programme lists a makers market inside Patch in Gray’s Yard, with a snow machine and mulled wine, and food stalls and mulled wine on the mid High Street. It does not list a market at The Meadows this year (Chelmsford For You, Christmas 2026). Our Christmas lights switch-on page has the full day.

Christmas Gift Fair at RHS Hyde Hall, 6 to 8 November

RHS Hyde Hall lists a Christmas Gift Fair for 6 to 8 November, with “unique gifts from independent artists, traders and makers” (RHS Hyde Hall, what’s on). Chelmsford For You’s programme gives the hours as 10am to 3pm and says normal garden admission applies for non-members; RHS members get in on their membership. The garden is at Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, CM3 8ET. Our Hyde Hall Glow page has the garden’s winter prices.

Village fayres and makers’ markets

Chelmsford City Council listed these in its round-up on 21 November 2025 (Chelmsford City Council). They are a guide to the weekends to watch, not confirmed 2026 dates.

Event 2025 date Where
South Woodham Ferrers Christmas Fayre, lights on at 4.30pm Sat 22 Nov, 1pm to 5pm South Woodham town centre
Danbury Christmas Fayre, free entry and parking Sat 29 Nov, 12pm to 4pm Danbury Leisure Centre
Writtle Vintage and Makers Market, free entry Sat 29 Nov Writtle Christian Centre
Made in Chelmsford Christmas Market, free entry Sat 29 Nov, 3.30pm to 6.30pm Patch Chelmsford
Stock Christmas Fayre, stalls from noon to 4pm Sat 6 Dec, 12pm to 6pm Stock Common

Getting there and parking

For the city centre, tariffs for every council car park are on our parking in Chelmsford page. Check our roadworks and travel page before you travel.

What we will update, and when

  • The Christmas Cabins, if Chelmsford For You adds them to its 2026 programme; we will check again on Monday 2 November.
  • Entry and parking for Christmas at The Stables.
  • The village fayres, which parish and town councils usually confirm in October and November.

More this Christmas

Sources