Budget-Friendly Christmas Events For Families in the North West 2025

December’s just around the corner, which can mean only one thing - it’s time for Olive Branch’s round-up of the best budget-friendly Christmas events for families in the North West for 2025!

 

Read on for our pick of festive fun happening in your area this year.

Christmas Events For Families in Lancashire

Lancashire families are spoiled for choice this festive season.

 

Christmas by the Sea will see Blackpool’s headland transformed into a winter wonderland complete with everything you’d expect from a trip to Blackpool, like light installations, illuminations and rides, plus a few festive surprises you might not expect - such as magical snowfall! Christmas by the Sea will be running from the 21st of November to the 4th January from 12-9pm daily.

 

If you’re in need of a Santa fix, head over to Astley Hall in Chorley. Their budget-friendly grotto visits are priced at £8 per child, and include a gift from the man himself, plus the opportunity to view the beautifully decorated hall. For those who’d prefer a more relaxed visit with reduced noise, SEN-friendly sessions will be held between 9 and 10am every Saturday.

 

Colne’s biggest event is back for another year. Head on down to the town centre on Saturday the 29th of November for the Christmas lights switch-on, with live performances and free activities for all the family including face painting, crafts and donkey rides!

 

One for nature lovers now. Visit RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve this December and pick up a Creatures of Christmas Family Trail pack for just £3. Not only will you receive a certificate if you complete the trail’s fun robin-related challenges, but you’ll also be given lots of great ideas for fun activities to try at home this winter.

 

Visit the Affinity Lancashire shopping outlet in Fleetwood this Christmas, and you might be in with a chance of meeting Disney’s Stitch or The Grinch himself! Plus there’ll be free facepainting on these days too.

Christmas Events For Families in Greater Manchester

As usual, Manchester doesn’t disappoint with its line-up of festive events for families.

 

The much-loved Manchester Christmas Parade is returning for another year, and will fill the city’s streets on Sunday the 7th of December. Free fun for all the family, the festive soundtrack and magical floats are sure to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. Plus there’ll be live music and pop-up performances across the city centre. The parade will set off from Victoria Street at 1pm and you can follow its route on the map here.

 

Factory International at Aviva Studios are hosting a range of free, family-friendly events over the Christmas period including choir performances and crafts. Their Drop-in Playstation Sessions are sure to be a big hit with older kids, who will have a choice of games to play including EA Sports FC26 and Space Invaders Forever. Meanwhile their Winter Family Drop-Ins offer a range of free craft activities for all ages every weekend between 11am and 3pm.

 

Over at Freight Island, you can step into Twilight Tales, a budget-friendly experience filled with fun for all the family. With face-painting, marshmallow toasting and light installations, family tickets start from £24 and kids eat free with every adult meal purchased.

Christmas Events For Families in Cheshire

There’s plenty of family fun happening in Cheshire for Christmas 2025.

 

For a grotto visit with a difference, why not hop aboard one of the festive canal boat trips taking place at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port this Christmas? Taking place every weekend throughout December, plus the 22nd, 23rd and Christmas Eve, you’ll be entertained by elves on a canal boat trip before stepping inside Father Christmas’s cosy grotto.

 

Or you might want to take a walk on the wild side and pay a visit to Into the Wild Bushcraft, just outside Hale, where you can roast marshmallows with Santa in a Tipi! Tickets are £8 for children and £2.50 for adults.

 

The Lion Salt Works will be holding a fun day of Christmas celebrations on Sunday the 7th of December. As well as free, drop-in activities like carols and crafts, there are low-cost activities, like a Santa’s grotto experience, priced at £3 per child, and a Northwich Explorers Winter Wonder session for £5 per child. More information and booking details can be found on their Facebook page

 

There’s loads happening at The Grosvenor Museum in Chester this Christmas, including a free 12 Cultures of Christmas trail, a Jingle Birds Craft Session inspired by the song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ on Tuesday the 23rd of December, and a Dickensian grotto on the weekend of the 6th and 7th of December.

 

Get everyone out for some fresh air at Brereton Heath Local Nature Reserve, and pick up a free Elf Hunt map from the visitor centre.

 

Nothing says Christmas like a beautifully decorated tree, and if you visit Chester Cathedral this year, you’ll see over 80 of them! The Chester Cathedral Christmas Tree Festival is running from the 28th of November to the 3rd of January, and this year’s theme is Christmas Around the World. Tickets start from just £4.50 for adults and 90p for children, while under 5’s go free.

 

Enjoy the magic of Quarry Bank Mill at twilight with an Enchanted Evening Winter Walk. Tickets are £9.50 per person, and the usual NCT charges don’t apply to this event. Plus, tickets include a hot drink for adults, and reindeer food and a mini hot drink for kids.

Christmas Events For Families in Merseyside

Families in Merseyside are in for a treat this Christmas!

 

Liverpool One are holding free magical Thursday evenings every week from the 20th of November through to the 18th of December. Highlights are set to include giant penguins, carol-oke, and pass the parcel! Plus their free Christmas Trail is set to return and will run through until Sunday the 4th of January - perfect for keeping kids entertained during Christmas shopping trips.

 

There’s a whole programme of Christmas events at Air Nation in St Helen’s this year, including a toddler Christmas party, a Christmas Eve Pyjama Party, a New Year’s Eve disco and SEN-friendly sessions, with prices starting from £6.49 per bouncer!

 

For something a little more gentle, why not pay a visit to Speke Hall for Storytime with Father Christmas? A family ticket for four is £25. Or step back in time and experience a traditional Victorian Christmas at Sudley House on the 6th and 7th of December - entry is free!

Christmas Events For Families in Rossendale

For families celebrating Christmas in Rossendale, there’s loads of local festive fun happening this year.

 

The Horse and Bamboo in Waterfoot is once again putting on a range of budget-friendly family activities, including a family craft session followed by a Screening of ‘Arthur Christmas’, and tickets are Pay What You Can with a suggested donation of £3.50.

 

While in Rawtenstall, The Whitaker will be showing The Grinch. Plus, their Mini Makers: Winter Crafts session will take place on Saturday the 3rd of January, and costs just £4.31 per child.

 

Nearby St Mary’s Chambers is hosting a Christmas Market on Sunday the 30th of November from 2-5pm. Entry is free, and there’ll be crafts and face painting for children, as well as live entertainment, and, of course, plenty of stalls showcasing the very best of local makers and produce.

Festive Fun at Olive Branch Fostering

That’s it for our yearly round-up of budget-friendly Christmas events for families in the North West 2025. As always, we hope you’ve enjoyed learning about what’s on near you this Christmas, and have found some inspiration for family fun this festive season.

 

Here at Olive Branch Fostering, we also have plenty of festive fun planned for our families, including the return of our annual magical Winter Wonderland, back again for another year.

 

If you’re one of our Olive Branch carers, be sure to ask your social worker about upcoming events or keep an eye on our Facebook page.

 

We know that this time of year can sometimes be challenging for families, which is why we pride ourselves on being there to support our foster families round-the-clock, 365 days a year.

If you’re considering fostering, or you’re looking for a new challenge for 2026, we’re always in need of safe, loving homes for children in the North West.

 

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more about what fostering involves. You can also call us on 01706 558910 or book a call back with one of our friendly advisors at a time that suits you.

 

We look forward to hearing from you, and we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year!