York Food & Drink Festival 2025: Highlights for families

This year York Food & Drink Festival runs from Friday 19 September to Sunday 28 September 2025!

It is Yorkshire’s largest food festival, so read on to find out what activities are available – especially those that are great for families and children. You can enjoy 10 days of demonstrations, taste trails, markets, street food and more! 

Every day of the festival there will be…

Produce Market & Street Food from 10am – 5pm:
Enjoy shopping from a huge range of produce from cheese to chocolate and bread to meats and pies!

Demonstrations:
There are lots of demonstrations between 12pm to 5pm most days

Festival Bars: 
St Sampson’s Square hosts York Gin, Pairings, and various street food.
The Entertainment Marquee (between Halifax and Barclays) hosts Premier Events real ale bar, Yorkshire Orchards Cider and a range of Street Food stands. Both enclosures serve from 11am until 9pm (last Sunday until 5pm).

After the markets have closed, activity continues in our two enclosures until 9pm with live music (there is no program on the final Sunday evening). The music program here is staged in collaboration with “Live for St Leonard’s”

Entry to York Food & Drink Festival is free and only the trails and a small number of events are ticketed.

Our highlights for families

You can find the full programme of events here and below we have highlighted a few events that caught our eye, that sound great fun to do as a family.

2024 highlights below: 2025 details to be updated when they are announced. 

Taste Trails: A Culinary Adventure for the Whole Family

For older children and adults alike, the Taste Trails offer a self-guided walking tour around the city of York, providing an opportunity to sample delectable treats from some of York’s finest delis, restaurants, and suppliers. There are two Taste Trails available, East and West York, each featuring around 20 stops where you can savour the best of York’s food scene. A tasting hub with additional samples adds to the experience.

📆 20 – 29 September
📍Various locations around York City Centre – Collection of the trail booklet is from the Information Point any day between 10am to 4pm, located on Parliament Street (opposite Costa).
🎟 Adult £10/Child £6
ℹ️ Tickets for the Taste Trails are limited to 100 per day and can be pre-booked online or purchased at the information point while stocks last.
The trail booklet collection is available from the Information Point any day between 10 am to 4 pm, located opposite the Shambles Market Entrance on Parliament Street.

The Food Factory: Free Culinary Workshops and More

The Food Factory, a cornerstone of the festival, offers a series of free cookery workshops. Visitors of all ages can learn new culinary skills and discover how food is made The schedule includes:

The workshops cover various themes, such as bread making, pasta making, vegan dips, and smoking your own food.

📆 Monday to Thursday – 3pm to 4pm, Both Fridays – 2pm to 4pm, Both Weekends (Sat & Sun) – 10am to 4pm
📍Workshops take place at the Museum Gardens and St. Crux Hall
🎟 FREE – if you can donations are requested to cover food costs
ℹ️ Activities are on a first come first serve basis

Chocolate Tour 

A fun, self-guided family activity with a map and questions exploring the city, with a decorate your own Chocolate Bar destination.

📆 Friday 20, Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Monday 23, Saturday 28, Sunday 29 September
📍Various locations around York City Centre – Collection of the trail booklet is from the Information Point any day between 10am to 4pm, located on Parliament Street (opposite Costa).
🎟 £5 per person
ℹ️ Tickets are on a first come first serve basis/limited per day

Find out even more…

Find out more information about the York Food & Drink Festival 2024 here, including the full programme of events.

Festival Bars:

• Both enclosures serve from 11am until 9pm (last Sunday until 5pm).
• St Sampson’s Square hosts York Gin, Pairings, and various street food, alongside the Demonstration area.
• The Entertainment Marquee (between Halifax and Barclays) hosts Premier Events real ale bar, Yorkshire Orchards Cider and a range of Street Food stands.
• After the markets have closed, activity continues in our two enclosures until 9pm with live music (there is no program on the final Sunday evening). The music program here is staged in collaboration with “Live for St Leonard’s”

Food Markets: 

• The food retailing section features stands selling a range of food and drink products that visitors can take home with them. This includes locally produced cheese, meats, baked goods, chocolates, preserves, and much more. Visitors can browse the stalls, taste samples, and purchase items to enjoy later.
• The food retail section is supplemented at the weekend with additional stands in the large Market Hall located outside outside of Boots Opticians and at St Crux (Pavement / Shambles)
• The street food section offers visitors the chance to sample a variety of delicious dishes from around the world. Here, visitors can indulge in a range of cuisines, including Thai, Indian, Italian, and Mexican, among others. The street food stands are designed to be eaten on-site, allowing visitors to enjoy a range of flavours and dishes as they explore the festival.
• Overall, there are around 100 stands at the festival, with a mix of food retailing and street food. The markets are open from 10 am until 5 pm each day, giving visitors plenty of time to explore and sample the various products on offer. Additionally, the street food stands located around the music venues remain open during the evening performances, allowing visitors to continue enjoying the festival’s food offerings well into the night.

Opening times (Friday 19 September to Sunday 28 September 2025):

• Festival Market; 10am to 5pm
• Demonstrations; 12pm to 5pm
• Festival Bars; 11am to 9pm (last day closes at 5pm)