Festive fun on the Sheffield Christmas Trail š
Make a festive shopping trip in the city centre extra magical - with this yearās Sheffield Christmas TrailĀ š
The free 2024 trail brings much-loved character Brearley Bear and his animal friends back for a new adventure, called Brearley Bearās Christmas DiscoĀ šŖ©
FamiliesĀ follow clues in the trail map to help Brearley complete the merry mission.Ā And every child who successfully completes the interactive challenge will receive an exciting giftĀ š
š This guide to The Sheffield Christmas Trail was last updated on Monday 2 DecemberĀ 2024. All information correct at the time of publication.
šŖ© What is The Sheffield Christmas Trail?
šHow to take part in The Sheffield Christmas Trail
š Why is Sheffield BID running The Sheffield Christmas Trail?
š When and where is the Sheffield Christmas Trail taking place in 2024?
š” What else is happening in Sheffield city centre 2024?
š· Plan your travel to The Sheffield Christmas Trail
šŖ© What is The Sheffield Christmas Trail?
The Christmas trail is a free initiative from Sheffield Business Improvement District (BID).
It challenges families, shoppers and visitors to Sheffield city centre to follow clues in the trail map, and find seven animal characters hidden in shops or leisure destinations.
Each character is holding an item for Brearley Bearās Christmas Disco, which must then be written down in the map to complete the mission.
The trail asks little ones to help collect everything the animals need for their disco, from festive food to a glitter ball, before they can dance the night away.
Completed maps can then be handed in at Sheffield BID HQ on Surrey Street, with special rewards for participating children.
šHow to take part in The Sheffield Christmas Trail
Maps for the trail can be collected from Sheffield BIDās wrapped-up HQ (aka Brearley Bear's Christmas HQ) on Surrey Street.
This is open Monday to Saturday (10am until 5pm) and on Sundays between 11am and 4pm. Please note: Christmas Eve opening hours are 10am-4pm.
Inside the HQ, children can post their pre-written letters to Father Christmas in an enchanted letterbox. Thereās an extra reward for those who do so!
Then itās off on the trail, following the clues and pink trail footsteps in place at some of the venues to hunt down the characters.
Once youāve found all seven and enjoyed some of Sheffieldās festive attractions, maps can be returned to the HQ.
Children can then pick a wrapped gift that is suitable for their age.
There is no requirement to complete the trail in one go, making it achievable for the shortest of legs.
With stops for fun Christmas rides, shopping, coffee at the brand new Pret on Cambridge Street and lunch, we completed the entire trail in around three hours.Ā Our four-year-old tester loved the tiny reindeer teddy she received for posting a letter.
And her favourite bit was spotting pink footsteps in stores and then racing to find the newest character.
The surprise gift at the end was also a major motivation to keep going and tick off the seven characters in one fell swoop.
Fun fact, the animals you find are all named in a nod to Sheffield communities, from the Darnall Dog to the Tinsley Tortoise.
š Why is Sheffield BID running The Sheffield Christmas Trail?
Bringing in footfall is just one reason behind the Christmas trail.
Ian Mott, business and visitor liaison officer for Sheffield BID, mansĀ the beautifully trimmed up HQ most days.
āOur Christmas trails have always been very successful. Itās great to get more people into the city centre, especially younger people to get them used to visiting.
āIt is partly about footfall and bringing in a new generation to the city centre.Ā But also it allows families to kill two birds with one stone - they can entertain their children for free and get some Christmas shopping done. Going round the shops is a lot more fun for little ones if there are fun characters to find.ā
The trail takes in different parts of the city centre, from busy retail hotstops like Orchard Square to leisure destination The Light cinema.
It also features some newer openings, like the Tenpin bowling and games centre on Angel Street.
Ian added: āWe try to get some newer businesses on there each year, so people can also discover the changes to the city centre as they go.ā
š When and where is the Sheffield Christmas Trail taking place in 2024?
The Sheffield Christmas Trail is live now and runs right up until Christmas Eve, which falls on a Tuesday this year.
If you would like to plan several visits for time or logistical reasons, three of the destinations to find are located on The Moor.
The other four are scattered around Orchard Square, Fargate, Angel Street and in the stunning Winter Garden.
You can also collect maps from each participating venue, and hand them back in to BID HQ at the end.
š” What else is happening in Sheffield city centre 2024?
There are lots of additional festive activities taking place in Sheffield city centre to enjoy with The Sheffield Christmas trail.
We enjoyed a ride on the traditional carousel in Barkers Pool, admiring the vast Christmas tree in new retail destination Leahās Yard and toasting giant marshmallows at the Sheffield Christmas Market.
The market alone has more than 60 stalls, an Alpine bar in the Peace Gardens and a Santaās Grotto. Itās been named among the UKās best by The Independent this year.
Throughout December there are heaps of other pop up markets, live performances and spectacular events to enjoy.
If you still need to tick off your gift list, look no further than this ultimate guide to Christmas shopping in Sheffield city centre.
Donāt forget to spot the singing reindeer Eccy and Tosy, as well as the Christmas Crooner penguins, inside Atkinsonās department store.
There are also guides to all kinds of Yuletide celebrations and activities in our dedicated Christmas section.
š· Plan your travel to The Sheffield Christmas Trail
Plan ahead for travelling to the trail.
There are plenty of public transport options to and in Sheffield city centre.
For cyclists, the new Sheffield City Centre Cycle Hub opened last week, providing space for 140 bikes inside the multi-storey car park on Charter Row.
You can also reduce the walking around town by hopping on and off the free Sheffield Connect electric buses which take two circular routes around the city centre.
If you need more support with getting around the city centre, check out the Mobile Sheffield service.Ā They provide electric scooters and wheelchairs for hire on a daily basis from their unit on Surrey Street (which is also home to Brearley Bear's Christmas HQ).Ā
All venues taking part in the Christmas trail are accessible.
Finally, if you need to drive, there is also plenty of choice when it comes to parking in Sheffield city centre.
ā However you get to the trail, have a cracking time finding Brearley Bear and all his festive friends.Ā Finally, for other FAQs or to download and print a trail map at home, you can visit the dedicated home of The Sheffield Christmas Trail. ā
