ONE of the town's biggest annual events will take place this weekend.

The Hexham Christmas Market will take place on Saturday, December 9 and run alongside Hexham Abbey's Christmas Fair and the Farmers' Market.

More than 100 stalls will be set up in and around Hexham Abbey selling Christmas gifts and festive food and drink. There are no entrance charges.

Outdoor stalls will open for business at 9am and will fill Hexham Marketplace, the Abbey flags on Beaumont Street and the Abbey’s cloister lawn.

Stalls will open inside the Abbey and upstairs in its Priory Buildings at 9.30am, when Hexham's town crier, Joe Mills, will welcome people to Hexham.

Hexham Community Partnership (HCP) organises the Christmas Market, which brings in income for the town’s development trust.

Jez Light of HCP said: “We have 58 small businesses coming this year including Simply Scottish Cashmere, North Chocolates, Silk Route Spirits and Bernicia Candles. Local artists such as LollaMac Jewellery, David Lawson Ceramics, Green Bee and Slate and Nature will also be with us. We can’t wait.”  

Five charity stalls will be found in the Refectory Garden. There will also be a children’s fairground and caterers in the Abbey car park and Nero Black Alpaca will bring some of their flock.   

Hexham Abbey’s Christmas Fair will have over 30 stalls on offer from handmade gifts to children's crafts.

Hexham Abbey’s fundraising and community engagement manager, Cath Newson, said: “We love the atmosphere that the Christmas Fair brings to the Abbey as it fills the Nave and flows over into the North Transept. There will be three choirs singing through the day and bell-tour tours on offer. We can’t wait to welcome people into our church on Saturday.“

Peter Samsom, manager of Hexham Farmers’ Market, said: “The market will run later this week than normal until 3pm and there will be a bumper crop of stalls. I’m also pleased to say that the 10th Avenue Street Band will perform some live sessions on Saturday in front of the Abbey while the market is on.”

Janie French of Visit Hexham said: “The Christmas Markets have such a lovely, buzzy atmosphere. 

"Now that the one-way system is suspended, we’d encourage marketgoers to make a day of it, enjoy free parking and explore Hexham’s unique shops, cafes and restaurants. Our pubs will also be extending a warm welcome and, for families, Snow White - the major Christmas Show at the Queen’s Hall - opens on Saturday with a matinee, whilst the Forum Cinema is showing the Cbeebies Panto and, in sharp contrast, the new Hunger Games film.”

Public transport information and parking is available on Visit Hexham's website.