Grassington Dickensian Festival (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Grassington Dickensian Festival

6:51pm Friday 3rd February 2012 in Skipton & The Dales

The 30th Grassington Dickensian Festival was a financial success, members were told.

The organising committee heard that the festival – held on three Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas – was certainly better than the previous year when heavy snow almost wiped out the third Saturday, preventing most stallholders and many visitors from attending.

Treasurer Colin Hird, owner of Dales Country Trading in the village, said the main income streams had been coach and car parking and rents from stallholders.

He said this year’s fun had included a skating rink in the Square, but this was expected to make a loss despite sponsorship from Welcome to Yorkshire.

Commercial stall income was down, but local charities had taken up more spaces for smaller individual fees.

Co-ordinator Angela Jackson said nearly £10,000 had been made from stall rents, which was an important sum as the three Saturdays cost a total of £30,000 to stage.

This year’s festival will take place on December 1, 8, and 15 and the organising committee is working towards introducing competitions to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee year.