Christmas in Whitby and at the Riviera Guesthouse 2024

Whitby is festooned with festive events this Christmas season!

Our home town is a fantastic place to visit any time of year, yet Christmas is the star of show for both the town and the Riviera Guesthouse team.

We have a handy What’s On Guide gives you a great outline of festive events.

Christmas

Some Festive Events 2024

These include Whitby Christmas Festival, 15th to 17th November at the Marina Front Car Park.

The Christmas Craft Fair takes place at Danby on 16th to 17th November.

This is followed by the Dippy Craft Christmas Fair at the Whitby Pavilion 23rd to 24th November.

Other events include The New Inn Christmas Fair, Abbey Lane on 24th November.

If you fancy a little trip outside of the town, the Commondale Christmas Fair and Market takes place at the Cleveland Inn, Commondale on 30th November.

December events include Robin Hood’s Bay Victorian Weekend on 7th and 8th December, the Krampus Run in Whitby 7th and 8th December, and of course the Santa Specials on the North Yorkshire Moors Railways throughout December.

Whitby’s Artisan Christmas Market at the Coliseum Centre, Whitby on 14th December, the Whitby Christmas Market at Pier Road, Whitby on 15th December.

Pantomimes include Snow White at the Whitby Pavilion 6th and 7th December.

If you love a good film during the festive period, then you are in for a treat!

WICKED and Paddington in Peru are heading to our local cinema at the Whitby Pavilion in December.

Find out more here.

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A Look Back at 2024

Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary

2024 has been a year of family fun and yes, some hard work too.

We started the year with a couple of awards, including the Good Hotel Award.

Read all about it here.

This was swiftly followed by a very early Easter holiday.

We had time for some fun too, with a trip on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

As animal lovers, we also helped Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary.

And then as the football season is now well and truly underway, we showed our support for grassroots football.

A Look Ahead to 2025

Breakfast

None of us can believe that we are half through the 2020s.

While it seems a lifetime ago, we sort of ‘lost’ the first two years to Covid.

As we face 2025, we know it’s time to invest some TLC into the structure of the Riviera Guesthouse.

This handsome Victorian building is our home and our business, so we ask a great deal from it on a day-to-day basis.

So, we’ve taken the difficult yet necessary decision to close our doors in January, February and March 2025.

In one way, we wish were on a three-month long cruise: however, we’re going to be hard at work carrying out renovation work on the Riviera.

Works will also take place on our own living areas, but more importantly on a new catering kitchen – hurrah!

Breakfast is most important meal of the day.

Part of the guest experience here at the Riviera is our truly delicious breakfast, cooked fresh to order, for our lovely guests.

As well as using as many local ingredients as possible, we also ensure our breakfast is one of the most memorable aspects of your stay.

Our breakfast will set you up for the day as you relax and explore the area.

And our renovation work doesn’t stop there!

As well as having a kitchen Gordon Ramsay would envy (well, we think he would!), our guest dining room will also have a pretty major facelift and will hopefully become a much more welcoming space to fill tummies.

We are also looking to put a new guest toilet into the reception area.

This does mean we lose one of the bedrooms, yet we feel this is well worth the effort and graft.

Easter 2025

In stark contrast to 2024, Easter in 2025 is late!

Good Friday takes place on 18th April, Easter Sunday on 20th April.

This is one of the reasons we’ve decided to carry out the guesthouse renovations in the first quarter of 2025.

It gives us chance to recover from the changes and get ready for our fabulous guests in the Spring.

And of course we’ve got lots to look forward to with Whitby’s iconic events, including Whitby Goth Weekend, Whitby Regatta, and regular events at the Whitby Pavilion.

Christmas Shopping in Whitby

While many of us will shop online this Christmas, nothing quite beats the bustle of the shops during the run up to the festive holiday.

Whitby’s cobbled streets are full of independent shops and businesses.

Shopkeepers go to a lot of trouble with the window displays, and of course Whitby’s festive lights add lots of sparkle to the proceedings.

E-commerce has its place, you really can’t beat seeing things ‘for real’.

The immersive experience of Christmas shopping also means you often spot gifts that you would not otherwise have seen.

And you should always treat yourself if you can!

Eating Out in Whitby

All that shopping also works up an appetite.

Whitby doesn’t disappoint with its array of eateries.

From cosy tea rooms to fine dining, there is something to tempt the tastebuds.

You can’t visit the seaside with enjoying fish and chips followed by chilled ice cream.

If this isn’t your thing, then look at our places to eat guide for lots of culinary inspiration.

Family Time at the Riviera Guesthouse

Family Christmas

Regular readers of our blog and our many, lovely guests will know our family is growing up fast!

Kids growing up doesn’t mean you have to lose the magic!
There is still putting up the Christmas Tree and ‘Chrissy decs’.

As a family, we still enjoy the process of dressing the tree with baubles, tinsel, fairy lights and more.

And of course, we also enjoy that festive food indulgence, from snacks to full-blown meals.

After all, it is Winter (after the Shortest Day), and we’ve got some busy months ahead.

We need to build up our strength!

Of course, we couldn’t mention ‘family’ without  including our four-legged friend, Evie, who is just the most adorable pooch.

We always make sure she’s got lots of dog-friendly treats too.

Yorkshire Traditions

Whitby Christmas

North Yorkshire is our home county … well, to be more accurate, North Yorkshire.

As with any other counties, we have some local traditions.

Whitby also has the Krampus Run, mentioned above.

Find out more here.

Often regarded as an alternative Christmas tradition, it is held as close as possible to its official date (6th December).

On 6th December it is also St Nicholas’ Day. This day, in the ancient Julien calendar, was also Christmas Day.

St Nicholas would reward ‘nice’ children, while Krampus would reward ‘naughty’ ones!

While this is perhaps a rather crude tradition by modern day standards, elements still exist today and it a fun event.

The Winter Solstice, or the Shortest Day takes place on either the 21st or 22nd December.

This is when the darkness of the night lasts the longest and the daylight hours are at their shortest.

In Whitby, we track the changing seasons by watching our nearest star, the Sun, as it rises and sets at different times during the year.

Our Sun also ‘moves’ along the Whitby skyline each year.

As a family we are so lucky to be living in this lovely town.

Thank You

All we have to say now is … we wish everyone a very  Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

We would also like to say a huge, whopping great thank you to our guests, our staff, our local businesses and organisations. We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you.

About the Riviera Guesthouse

From Spring 2025, we will have 14 en-suite bedrooms at the Riviera. Each unique in its design and furnishing and most enjoy spectacular sea views.

Whether you are coming as a solo traveller, couple, a family with children or friends sharing, we have a bedroom to match your requirements.

Choose from King-size, Double, Family/twin (double bed and single bed) and Single rooms.

The Riviera Guesthouse is just moments from Whitby’s beaches, Whitby Pavilion, sea view walks, fish and chip emporiums, ice creams and more.

We are taking bookings now for Easter 2025 onwards. Good Friday takes place on 18th April, Easter Sunday on 20th April.