Hawkshead is a good place to be in December. The village is quiet once the autumn visitors have gone, and it’s dark by four, which is the right time of day to be indoors with a hot chocolate. If you’re spending Christmas in the Lake District with children, here’s what’s happening at the Chocolate Factory and when we’re open.
Make your own chocolate Father Christmas
This Christmas the children make their own chocolate Father Christmas in our Santa moulds. Aprons and hairnets on as usual, and everything they make goes home with them. Father Christmas included, if he survives the walk back to the car.
Workshops last 30 to 40 minutes and cost £22 per person. They’re for children aged 3 and up, and grown-ups can join in alongside a child in their own group.
When the workshops are running
Through December, workshops run every Saturday and Sunday. From Monday 21 December to Tuesday 5 January they run every day, apart from the three days we’re closed over Christmas and New Year.
Holiday sessions fill up, so book online once you know your dates.
Hawkshead Christmas Fair, 5 and 6 December
The village’s Christmas fair is on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, and it’s a big weekend for a place this size. There are stalls through the village, inside and out, the Christmas lights are up, and there’s entertainment all weekend: a steel band, a marching band, a brass band and street entertainers. On the Saturday a lantern procession goes through the village and ends with carol singing in the square.
Workshops run on both days of the fair, so you can book a slot and make a chocolate Father Christmas between the stalls.
Christmas and New Year opening hours
The shop and coffee shop are open 9am to 5pm every day through December, with these exceptions:
- Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December: open 9am to 3pm
- Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day: closed
After New Year we’re open as normal until Friday 8 January, then closed for our annual January holiday. We reopen on Wednesday 20 January 2027.
Gift vouchers for the workshops
A chocolate workshop makes a good present for a child who already has enough things. You can buy a gift voucher on this website: click “Gift vouchers” at the top of the booking calendar. If you’d rather talk to a person, ring the shop on 015394 36075 or email info@chocolatefactoryhawkshead.co.uk and we’ll arrange one.
Presents from the shop
Many of the things we sell in the shop are made here, in the same room as the workshops. The fudge, truffles and slabs make good presents and stocking fillers. Have a look round when you come for your workshop, or call in on your way through the village.
Elsewhere in Hawkshead in December
If you want to get out between workshops, Hawkshead is a short drive from Grizedale Forest, where the woodland trails give you some shelter when the weather turns, and from Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s house at Near Sawrey. Check their winter opening hours before you set off. For more ideas, see our guide to things to do in Hawkshead, and if the forecast is wet, our rainy day guide still applies in December.
Questions
- What are your Christmas and New Year opening hours?
- We're open 9am to 5pm every day through December, apart from Christmas Eve, when we close at 3pm. We're closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. We then close for our annual January holiday from 9 January and reopen on 20 January 2027.
- Which days are the workshops running before Christmas?
- Every Saturday and Sunday through December, then every day of the school holidays from 21 December to 5 January, apart from the three days the factory is closed. Book online to pick your slot.
- When is the Hawkshead Christmas Fair?
- Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026. There are stalls through the village, inside and out, bands and street entertainers all weekend, and a lantern procession on the Saturday that ends with carol singing in the square. Our workshops run on both days.
- Is there anything Christmassy in the workshop?
- Yes. This Christmas the children make their own chocolate Father Christmas in our Santa moulds, and he goes home with them along with everything else they make.
- Do you sell gift vouchers?
- Yes. Click "Gift vouchers" at the top of the booking calendar, or ring or email the shop and we'll sort one out for you.
- What is there to buy in the shop at Christmas?
- The fudge, truffles and slabs we make here, which make good presents and stocking fillers. Come in and have a look before or after your workshop.
- How much is a workshop and what age is it for?
- £22 per person, for children aged 3 and up. Adults can take part only alongside a child in their own group.
- Do I need to book?
- Yes, please book online. The school holiday sessions fill up.
- Where do I park?
- Hawkshead's main car park is a short walk from the shop. See how to find us.
Book a Christmas workshop
Pick a weekend in December or a day in the school holidays, and come and make a chocolate Father Christmas with us in Hawkshead. Gift vouchers are on the same page if you'd rather give the workshop as a present.