The Festival began life in 2016 to mark the expansion of the Yorkshire Dales National Park on 1 August 2016 to include the area of Cumbria now known as the Westmorland Dales. Since then the event has been a fixture over the weekend closest to that date, and in 2025 will take place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July.
Originally a one-day event, the Festival grew to a new two-day format in 2023.
The Festival takes place in Kirkby Stephen, gateway to the Westmorland Dales. There are markets, activities and events for all ages in the beautiful setting of the market square, the Parish Church and its grounds and the riverside as well as other central sites. Nearby attractions such as Kirkby Stephen East station and steam railway and Winton Park Gardens join in the celebrations too.
Guided walks and other activities explore the wider landscape of the Dales.
The Festival aims to:
We are very grateful to all the sponsors and partners who have supported us in so many ways and help make the Festival possible, including:
Photograph © WDF
OPEN PDF OF THIS MAPThe Westmorland Dales are the part of Cumbria which joined the Yorkshire Dales National Park (YDNP) in 2016. An area of outstanding landscapes, historic settlements and natural and cultural heritage, the Westmorland Dales lie in the north-west corner of the YDNP, to the north of the Howgill Fells, and are bordered by Tebay in the south-west, Maulds Meaburn in the north-west, Kirkby Stephen to the east and the Mallerstang Valley to the south. Guided walks during the Festival offer a great introduction to the area.
To find out more about the Westmorland Dales, and what makes the area so special, visit:
Friends of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Park
Images: top © WDF; illustrated map of the Westmorland Dales by Beth Cook, © Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership & reproduced by kind permission of Friends of the Lake District; Mallerstang & Pendragon Castle, below, © visitlakedistrict.com
Space to breathe, room to grow
Kirkby Stephen is proud to call itself the gateway to the Westmorland Dales, and to host the annual celebration of the area’s landscape, heritage and people.
A historic market town, Kirkby Stephen is home to thriving independent shops, pubs and eating places. It lies in Cumbria's Upper Eden Valley, on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast path – one of the most popular long distance trails in the country – and is the ideal base for walking holidays or simply relaxing and getting away from it all.
The area is predominantly agricultural and the town bears witness to the importance of farming past and present and the rhythms of the seasons. The railway too played a crucial role in its development, with two lines running close to the town: the famous Settle to Carlisle line, and the defunct Stainmore Railway which lives on in our heritage station, Kirkby Stephen East – you’ll be able to visit during the Festival weekend.
On the Sunday of the Festival you’ll have the chance too to meet local artists, makers and producers as well as community and conservation groups active in the area, find out more about their work and how you can get involved. Follow the Festival trail to explore the town, or join one of our guided walks.
For more information about the Eden area and Kirkby Stephen, its history, things to do while you’re here and where to stay, visit https://www.kirkby-stephen.com/, https://www.visiteden.co.uk/ and https://visituppereden.org.uk/, or pop into our Visitor Centre:
Upper Eden Visitor Centre
Market Street
Kirkby Stephen
Cumbria CA17 4QN
017683 71199
visit@uecp.org.uk
.jpg)
Photographs
Kirkby Stephen, top, © visitlakedistrict.com
At the Westmorland Dales Festival, above and right, © WDF
Kirkby Stephen lies on the A685, about 20 minutes from junction 38 of the M6 and about 10 minutes from the A66 interchange at Brough, which is about 30 minutes from Scotch Corner.
On street parking is available but limited to two hours and there is a large free public car park clearly signposted from the centre of town. Special arrangements may apply during the Festival.
Kirkby Stephen is on the Settle – Carlisle railway line, with easy connections north and south from Leeds and Carlisle.
Please note that the station is about two miles from the town centre, connected by a dedicated footpath / cycleway and an occasional bus service.
