What's On in Fife: 2021's Winter Events
We take a look at some of the great Christmas Markets and festive events happening across Fife this winter
With supermarket shelves already stacked high with huge tubs of festive chocolates and shop-bought mince pies already being ranked from best to worst, it can mean only one thing – Santa is coming! Alongside the main event, winter is about getting out and about with family and friends, and Fife has loads of great events happening over the festive season. As the song goes, 'Oh the weather outside is frightful, but Fife is so delightful'...
Getting the season off to a flying start is the Teasses Christmas Market on Saturday 4 December. Back after a year off, Teasses will host a craft market in the estate’s beautiful walled garden, food and drink in the stables courtyard, festive storytelling and a special guest appearance from the big man himself – Santa – making for a magical family day out. Teasses Estate, Leven, 4 Dec, 11am-4pm, free entry, welcometofife.com
On the same weekend you can also check out the Crail Christmas Fayre (4-5 Dec). Taking place in the Crail Community Hall, visitors can explore a vast selection of creative gift ideas from local vendors, meaning you might be able to get a lot of your Christmas shopping out of the way early on. While the fair itself is free entry, there will be Christmas crafting and cake decorating activities for the kids (£5 per session) and the whole weekend will conclude with a special Christmas concert on Sunday 5 December at 7.30pm (£10 for adults, £5 for children). Crail Community Hall, Crail, 4-5 Dec, 11am-4pm, free entry; more info on the ticketed events can be found at ticketsource.co.uk/crail-community-partnership
More family fun can be found at Dunfermline’s Carnegie Hall this December as it’s set to be transformed into a winter wonderland for The Magic of Christmas. Taking place every Saturday and Sunday in the lead up to Christmas, The Magic of Christmas is a collaborative event with Pitlochry Festival Theatre taking visitors on a hour-long festive journey which includes a screening of an adventure to find the North Star, a trip through a super-sized Advent Calendar and a visit to Santa in his grotto, naturally. ‘Departures’ leave five times a day from the Carnegie Hall foyer, with the option to end at Tiffany’s cafe for a post-event winter warmer. Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, Fridays and Saturdays, 4-19 Dec, 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4pm, 7pm, £8.50-10, onfife.com/event/the-magic-of-christmas-ca44
Also in Fife this year is the brand new Dunfermline Winter Festival. From 12-20 December, expect a mix of jazz, classical, swing and Christmas carols across a number of venues like the Alhambra Theatre, Fire Station Creative and the Glen Pavilion, bringing something new to Fife’s festive calendar. Venues, dates, times and prices vary; find more information at tuttievents.com
If by the middle of the month you’re still looking for the perfect gift, the perfect cheese for your Christmas cheese board or the perfect festive day out, the Bowhouse Christmas Market on 11 and 12 December is a must. The market will boast a huge variety of food and drink traders including St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese, Strathearn Cheese, Cocoa Tree chocolatiers, Wasted Degrees Brewery and Tay Spirits. There will also be 20 different craft stalls, and Christmas trees available to buy. In addition there’ll be live music both days between 12-3pm as well as street food from Rost, Fish and Frites, Mac Love and House of Tapas. Bowhouse, St Monans, 11-12 Dec, 10am-4pm, bowhousefife.com/event/christmas-market-weekend
No festive season would be complete without a trip to the theatre for some panto, so you’ll be relieved to hear Fife has you covered with Ya Wee Sleeping Beauty, starring award-winning actor Billy Mack. Taking place at the newly refurbished Kings Theatre in Kirkcaldy between 1 December and 16 January, best limber up your ‘Heeeee’s behind yooooou’ lungs now and get ready to experience a very Scottish take on a classic. Kings Theatre, Kirkcaldy, dates, times and prices vary; find more information at kingstheatrekirkcaldy.com
There’s something about a ceilidh that just screams Christmas so you’ll be chuffed to hear the Forgan’s Weekend Ceilidh is taking place every Friday and Saturday from 10:30pm. While Saturdays are more of a 'hoolie', Fridays are beginner-friendly so if you’ve never done Scottish dancing before, this would be a great way to start. Forgan’s, St Andrews, Fridays and Saturdays, 10.30pm, booking essential, forgans.co.uk/st-andrews/events/ceilidh
Finally, why leave all your Hogmanay partying to the last day of the year when you could get the party started a day early with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers at the Alhambra Theatre in Kirkcaldy? No, not the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but rather the Celtic rock band composed of three Highland pipers, traditional marching snare drum, a full band and highland dancers. Covering everything from Queen and Coldplay to Snow Patrol and Journey, the band came to prominence after winning When Will I Be Famous in 2007. Expect a festive fusion of traditional and contemporary anthems. Alhambra Theatre, Kirkcaldy, 30 Dec, 3pm & 7.30pm, £25-27.50 + bf, alhambradunfermline.com/event/the-red-hot-chilli-pipers
To find out what else is on over the festive period in Fife, visit welcometofife.com/events