The Snow Moon Festival, Clitheroe

Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor
Snowmoon Festival

The Snow Moon Festival at Clitheroe Castle, Clitheroe Entrance is free — Visit now

A one day free family arts festival that’s a celebration of light and the coming Spring, Snowmoon is a tip-top total town takeover from the award-winning team behind one of our favourite summer highlights, Cloudspotting Festival.

Named after February’s full moon, expect a charming cacophony of creativity. The highlight is an spectacular light and lantern parade from Clitheroe’s beautiful early medieval castle which sets off at 4.45pm. We love the fact that this stops twice for “parade parties” at Castle Fields Labyrinth (yep, you heard that right Clitheroe even has a labyrinth) and at the Market Bull Ring before a riotous free gig from Lancashire folk band Drop The Floor at The Grand.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their own light-related accessories and activities earlier in the day include a Poetry Brew at Costa Coffee with local poet Michael Neary and light-related art workshops at the Platform, Longitude and Stewards galleries. If you forget your finest winter festival threads fear not as there are costume making workshops at Clitheroe Library and The Grand Venue, meanwhile musical types can join in musical instrument making and playing, followed by drumming workshops at the United Reformed Church.

Leave time to explore the newly opened Bowland Food Hall at Holmes Mill and all the other fine food and drink delights of the Ribble Valley too in this Lancashire gourmet hotspot.

The Snow Moon Festival at Clitheroe Castle, Clitheroe Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near The Snow Moon Festival, Clitheroe

The Grand Venue Clitheroe

By offering an exciting entertainment programme and a diverse range of participatory performing arts, The Grand’s vision is to bring wholesome engagement of the Arts to individuals of all ages. This journey begins from the early years and continues every step of the way through to adulthood through our various performing arts-based activities and projects.

Pendle Hill
Lancashire
Tourist Attraction
Pendle Hill

Most famous for its links to the now notorious witch trials of 1612, Pendle Hill and its surrounding towns and villages are a truly bewitching area of Lancashire. History and legend has woven a spell over Pendle.

Blackburn
Hotel
Northcote Hotel

Northcote’s luxury hotel perfectly matches its Michelin-star restaurant, nestled in the Ribble Valley hills on the edge of the Forest of Bowland.

Blackburn
Restaurant
Northcote

Northcote’s Michelin-star restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the Ribble Valley.

Lancashire
Restaurant
The White Swan
at Fence

The White Swan at Fence is a gastro-pub with much to brag about. Delicious drinks and fantastic food has got this pub a Michelin Star.

Gawthorpe Hall
Burnley
Tourist Attraction
Gawthorpe Hall

Affectionately referred to as the ‘Downton of the North’, Gawthorpe Hall was redesigned in the 1850s by Sir Charles Barry, designer of the Houses of Parliament and the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.

Gisburne Park

Gisburne Park is one of Lancashire’s finest private estates. A thousand acres of picturesque Ribble Valley countryside, owned and managed by Guy Hindley and family

Glassmonkey Studio
Burnley
Gallery
Glassmonkey Studio

Glassmonkey Studio is the largest glass fusing studio in the area. The studio is home to a gallery selling handmade fused glassware jewellery, art and greeting cards. They also host regular workshops for fused glass, soap making, enamelling, and silver clay jewellery making.

What's on: Festivals

Visit Blackpool.
FestivalsBlackpool
Showzam!

A festival of Circus, Magic and Variety, set to take place during the February half-term holidays. There will be a blend of live performances, illusions, street acts and more.

from £14.00
Keswick Town
CinemaCumbria
Keswick Film Festival

Keswick Film Festival marks 25 years with a programme featuring some of the best of contemporary independent cinema, alongside select classics, and work from some choice Cumbrian talent.

from £5.00

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Documentary performance, groundbreaking dance, world premieres and fresh takes on classic works - check out our early theatre highlights for 2025.

NEXT: A Primer on Urban Painting production still
Cinema in the North

Hollywood greats and early bird film fest tickets are on our horizon as we start the New Year.

FKA TWIGS
Music in the North

Masters of minimalism, leftfield electronica and cutting edge pop. We bring you the lot in our latest live music round up.

The Super Duper Family Festival
Family things to do in the North

We might be past the holiday season, but Manchester and the North's arts and cultural calendar is still packed with brilliant events and activities for families

A painting of a young child being bathed in a sink of a 197s style kitchen. Around the sink are a rubber duck, a bottle of  washing up liquid, a jug, a kettle and a mug.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries are racing to announce new exhibitions so check out our top picks, from art films and nostalgic paintings to Hockney's collages.