The NSPCC Christmas Fair will return to Castle Howard for the 15th and final time this year before taking up its new home at Duncombe Park in 2016.

Following the enormous success of 2014 when the fair raised £55,000 from a new extended three-day format, it will again benefit from an extra days opening to attract the Saturday shoppers. 

This year, the NSPCC Christmas Fair will open as usual with a VIP preview evening on Thursday 5^th November from 5pm to 9pm.  Numbers are strictly limited for this 'party and shopping' experience so advance booking is essential with tickets selling out fast.  The Fair will then continue during the day of Friday 6^th and Saturday 7^th November from 9.30am to 4pm. 

Tickets for the preview evening are £15 to include canapés and a glass of wine and the chance to spend an evening socialising and shopping in an impressive stately home setting.  Day tickets cost just £8, can be bought on the door or online at www.nspcccastlehowardchristmasfair.co.uk and include entry to the gardens and playground with children under 13 free of charge.

"We are firmly focused on making our 2015 NSPCC Christmas Fair a resounding success and leap closer towards our half a million pound milestone which we have so far nearly raised for the NSPCC since we moved from The Orangery at Settrington to Castle Howard 15 years ago.” says Harriette Murray Wells, joint chairman of the NSPCC Castle Howard Christmas Fair Committee. 

“We shall be very sad to say goodbye to Castle Howard and the Howard family who have tirelessly supported us over the last 15 years but we're already hugely excited about our new home for next year's Fair. We urge shoppers to get ahead with their Christmas gift search, lose yourself in the Christmas spirit and browse our carefully handpicked selection of 70 stalls.  Half of our stalls are new to the Fair so there's plenty of reason for shoppers to come back year after year for inspired ideas, in a relaxed and stunning location of a beautiful stately home.”

The 70 stalls are carefully selected over the course of the year and this year the Fair will benefit from even more stalls as the food and drink section is significantly increased with the addition of a specially erected, heated marquee adjoining the Grecian Room.

Around 40% of this year's stalls are local independent retailers, and include new categories such as Christmas decorations and more kitchenware.  In addition, gifts on offer include toys, books, jewellery, gardening, fashion, homeware, and gentlemen's accessories.

Income from ticket sales, sponsors and donations, raffle tickets and 10% of each stall holders' takings go direct to the charity.  Money raised at the NSPCC Christmas Fair goes towards the NSPCC's vital services for children, young people and families in the region.