A thousand free park & ride spaces are to be created in Harrogate next month (November) for what is likely to be one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.
Visitors to the Country Living Christmas Fair at Harrogate International Centre (HIC), will now be able to leave their cars at The Yorkshire Event Centre (YEC) in Wetherby Road and take a complimentary bus to the show.
The temporary initiative, which was agreed between the show’s organisers, HIC and YEC is intended to ease traffic congestion in Harrogate town centre by providing spaces for Country Living ticket-holders who travel to the event by car.
HIC’s venue services manager, Robert Penfold said: While this is only the third time we have hosted the Country Living Christmas Fair, the event has already established itself as a hugely popular public annual event.
It’s held over four days and people come a long way to visit but it takes place at the same time as the Harrogate Christmas Market.
We know this can put a big strain on the town’s roads so that’s why this year we are laying on the free park and ride service to those with tickets for the Country Living Show.
This is a great team-up between ourselves Country Living and the Yorkshire Event Centre and it may be something we can look at in the future for our other big public shows.
The complimentary bus service will run between the Showground and HIC, at roughly 15 minute intervals, from 9am to 5.45pm each day. Only those with a valid ticket for the Country Living show will be able to use the service.
Event director, Dan Sewell said: We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer this essential service to visitors,”
It’s a fantastic initiative between the two venues that will certainly improve our visitors’ experience. Many attend to do all their Christmas shopping in one day and are often laden with heavy bags.The park & ride ensures they’ll be able to access the town and the Fair with ease which can only be positive for everyone.
The Country Living Christmas Fair takes place from Thursday 27 November to Sunday 30 November 2014.
For more information on the show and the park & ride scheme go to www.countrylivingfair.com/harrogate
