Market stallholders and Rochester shopkeepers have hailed the Second annual Dickens Christmas Market & Festive Food Fayre at Rochester Castle a huge success after attracting over 250,000 visitors during its 3 week period, making it the best visited attraction in Kent in 2011. This figure included a record 480 coach groups from all over the UK and Northern Europe.

The German-style Christmas market, opened by legendary US rapper Vanilla Ice, enjoyed nearly twice as many visitors as the previous year. David Cordell who had a chalet selling wooden reindeer, sold out halfway through the first weekend as did Direct Beers and Snowdonia Cheese. Deborah Palmer, co-owner of Chatham based company Natural Loaf said that she had been very surprised how popular the market has been and had served people from as far afield as South Wales, the North East of England and even visitors from France and Belgium. Shop owners in the High street also noticed a big increase in business during the period of the market, Michelle Smith from fashion shop ‘Bewitched’ commented that business was so good that sometimes he didn’t even have time to pop out to get a coffee!

Provisional dates for 2012 are currently Wednesday 28th November to Sunday 16th December (closed on Mondays & Tuesdays). Dates should be confirmed by the end of January 2012.