Throughout December 2025, Ilkley BID delivered a dedicated Christmas campaign designed to encourage people to shop, eat, drink and spend locally during the crucial festive trading period.
The campaign combined our Ilkley Christmas Advent Calendar of Offers with a fun, family-friendly Christmas Elf Trail, giving residents and visitors even more reasons to explore the town and visit local businesses throughout December.
Christmas Advent Calendar of Offers
A dedicated Advent Calendar was created on the Discover Ilkley website, bringing together festive offers, gift ideas and seasonal promotions from businesses across the town.
Throughout December, participating businesses and their offers were promoted across Discover Ilkley’s social media channels, providing businesses with additional exposure during one of the busiest and most competitive shopping periods of the year.
The campaign encouraged people looking for Christmas presents, festive treats and places to eat and drink to choose Ilkley and support its fantastic range of independent businesses.
Christmas Elf Trail
Alongside the Advent campaign, Ilkley BID organised a festive Christmas Elf Trail around the town centre.
Christmas elves were hidden inside participating businesses, encouraging families to explore Ilkley and visit shops and other businesses as they searched for them.
Participants recorded the elves they found and submitted their answers using an online entry form, with the chance to win a £50 Ilkley Gift Card.
As well as providing a free festive activity for families, the trail helped bring people through the doors of participating businesses and encouraged visitors to explore different parts of the town centre.
Encouraging People to Spend Locally
Together, the Advent Calendar and Elf Trail formed part of Ilkley BID’s wider commitment to supporting businesses at Christmas.
By combining online promotion with an activity that encouraged people to physically explore the town, the campaign helped showcase Ilkley’s independent businesses, promote festive shopping and hospitality, and reinforce the message to shop local and spend local at Christmas.
