Christmas may be just under 200 days away, but Ripon City Council is already planning ahead by inviting local primary school children to design bespoke Christmas lights for the city, with the winning designs set to be turned into festive lamppost features outside their schools.
The competition will be for pupils at three local school locations who have not had lights installed there previously, which include:
Cathedral School
Priest Lane
Ripon
HG4 1LT
Moorside Primary School and Mowbray Primary School
Harrogate Road
Ripon
HG4 1SU
Outwood Academy Primary Greystone
Quarry Moor Lane
Ripon
HG4 1RW
Children are being asked to create their design showing how the finished light would appear vertically on a lamp post column. Designs can be anything that reminds pupils of Christmas, including Christmas trees, gingerbread people, Santa, elves, the baby Jesus, Christmas puddings, stars, bells, animals, or their own festive idea inspired by their school or community.
The design should ideally be a simple, clear line drawing, with colours added so the manufacturer can match the rope lighting as closely as possible. The deadline for entries is 10th September 2026.The winning designs will then be developed with the city’s lights supplier, Bradford MDC Festival Lights, before being manufactured and installed as part of Ripon’s festive lighting.
Ripon City Council will provide printed and email entry forms to the schools. Completed entries can be returned direct to the Council by email to admin@riponcity.gov.uk or posted/ hand delivered to:
Ripon City Council
Ripon Town Hall
Market Place South
Ripon
HG4 1DD
Cllr Andrew Williams, Mayor of Ripon, said:
Ripon’s Christmas lights are something the city can be rightly proud of. Visitors often tell us that Ripon’s lights are the best in North Yorkshire, and this competition will help us go further still.
By inviting children to design lights for outside their schools, we are giving young people a real part in shaping how the city celebrates Christmas. It is a lovely way for pupils to see their own ideas brought to life and to help make Ripon even more festive, welcoming and full of community spirit.
The competition forms part of Ripon City Council’s wider planning for this year’s Christmas programme, including its 14th November Christmas Light Switch-On Event, with new additions, a revived programme and much more to be announced in due course.
