What is the Nutcracker Trail Kids' Takeover?

Picture this. It’s the Christmas season in York. The air is crisp, the lights are twinkling on those gorgeous historic streets, and there’s a feeling of magic around every corner. Well, things are about to get even more colourful. The much-loved York Nutcracker Trail is back, but with a brilliant twist. This year, it’s a full-on kids' takeover! From 13th November 2025 all the way through to 4th January 2026, the city becomes a giant treasure map, and the treasure? Ten massive, uniquely designed nutcracker soldiers. And the best part is, the designs have come straight from the imaginations of local children.

A kids' takeover in historic York

So, what's this 'kids' takeover' all about? Last year, the York BID (that's the Business Improvement District, the group that helps make the city amazing) had a fantastic idea. They put a call out to all the budding young artists across York and the surrounding area. The challenge was simple: design your dream nutcracker. The response was huge, with hundreds of wild, wonderful, and super colourful designs pouring in. The team, including Project Manager Rachel Bean, had the tough job of picking just ten winners. These ten designs weren't just put in a gallery; they were chosen to become the stars of the show. Each winning design has been transformed into one of the giant nutcrackers that will be dotted around the city for the entire festive season. It’s a proper city-wide celebration of children's creativity.

Rachel Bean, the Project Manager at York BID, talked about the inspiration behind it.

“We wanted to do something truly special this year - to hand the creative reins over to York’s young people. We asked kids across York to let their imaginations run wild, and the designs we received were full of colour and fun. It was so hard to pick just 10! York Nutcracker Trail has become a real festive favourite in York, and I can’t wait to see lots of people with trail maps in their hands across the city again this year.”

This amazing outdoor art gallery of sculptures is one of the biggest events in the city's festive calendar. It's a fantastic, free activity for families looking to get into the Christmas spirit.

Bringing kids' imaginations to life

Turning a kid's drawing into a life-sized sculpture sounds like a big job, right? Absolutely. And the person tasked with this magical transformation is local artist Marc Godfrey-Murphy. You might know him as MarcoLooks, and he’s a seriously talented freelance illustrator. He has painstakingly hand-painted each of the ten giant nutcrackers, making sure every splash of colour and quirky detail from the original drawings was brought to life. The level of detail on each nutcracker is something to see.

What makes Marc the perfect person for the job? Well, he used to be an animator for Cbeebies. Yep, the channel that knows a thing or two about what kids love. He completely understands the brilliant, unfiltered way children see the world. He knows that their sense of pattern and colour is completely unique and often more adventurous than an adult's. This connection to youthful creativity made him the ideal artist for the kids' takeover project. Marc himself was thrilled to be involved::

“I remember when York BID first talked to me about working on this project with them. From the moment I found out about the concept, I immediately wanted to be involved. I used to be an animator for Cbeebies, so I know how discerning children’s imaginations can be. Their ideas and minds are bold, brave and limitless. It’s been a joy spending time working with designs from their perspective. Some of our young artists have used colour combinations I would never think of, but as an artist illustrator, it’s been wonderful to discover the joy in colour and pattern from their world view.”

It’s this respect for the original young designers that makes the York Nutcracker Trail so special this year. Each of the ten sculptures is not just a festive decoration; it’s a tribute to a child’s imagination.

How to join the nutcracker hunt

Right, so you’re ready to get exploring. How do you do it? It’s super simple. Starting from Thursday 13th November, you can pop into the Visit York Information Centre on Parliament Street to pick up your very own trail maps. These maps are your key to the adventure. They'll guide you through the city on this brilliant city-wide trail, showing you where to find each of the ten hidden giant nutcrackers. It’s like a massive game of hide-and-seek with colourful, seven-foot-tall soldiers. The trail is designed to take you on a journey through York’s most beautiful spots, winding through the famous historic streets and maybe showing you a few hidden gems you’ve never noticed before. Following the trail maps is a fantastic way to explore the city during the Christmas season, and it's completely free. It’s one of those perfect family events that gets everyone outdoors, having fun and making memories. The York Nutcracker Trail is a festive tradition for a reason, and the kids' takeover theme makes it even more engaging for everyone. So, grab a map, wrap up warm, and get hunting!

Who is behind the festive fun?

Ever wonder who puts these amazing city-wide events together? The York Nutcracker Trail is brought to the city by the York BID. BID stands for Business Improvement District, which is a fancy way of saying they’re a team dedicated to making York’s city centre a brilliant place for businesses, locals, and visitors. They work on all sorts of projects, from making the streets look lovely to supporting the fantastic programme of events that happen all year round. The nutcracker trail is one of their flagship projects for the festive season.