Visiting Bishop Auckland
Food Festival
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival stretches across the stunning marketplace in front of the town hall in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
With a fantastic range of delicious street food traders and artisan food producers, bars with real ales, pop up cafés and attractions for all, the festival truly has something for everyone!
Park & Ride and Opening Times
The 2025 Festival is now closed.
An accessible park and ride service will be in operation for visitors between Bishop Auckland College (DL14 6JZ) and the town centre.
Buses will run from 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday, the last return bus will run at 5.30pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.
Return tickets cost £2.50 for adults, 50 pence for children aged five to 15 years old and are free for those under five.
Town centre car parks will be open but may be busy and drivers should be aware of diversions due to road closures for the event.
The 2025 Festival is now closed.
Visiting Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland, in the Vale of Durham, is a lively market town with a rich 2,000-year history. Set high above a bend in the River Wear, it enjoys sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.
The town is home to Auckland Castle, residence of Durham’s Prince Bishops for over 900 years, with gardens and parkland to explore. Nearby, the Mining Art Gallery showcases works by local artists including Norman Cornish and Tom McGuinness.
These attractions form part of The Auckland Project, which continues to transform the town, alongside a thriving arts scene centred around Bishop Auckland Town Hall, home to a library, cinema, theatre and arts complex.
Somewhere to stay?
Park Head Hotel offers guests a quality stay, on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland. Park Head offers 38 en-suite hotel rooms with everything you need to enjoy your stay, including a range of options, from single rooms to two-bedroom suites.
Parking is complimentary for all Hotel guests and visitors, and we offer designated disabled parking spaces as well as accessible Hotel rooms.
Park Head Hotel will give a guest 10% off our Bed & Breakfast rate and is only available for stays from the 11th April to 15th April – Quote BAFF10
Further Afield…
Bishop Auckland Food Festival takes place in the Vale of Durham, but beyond it lies Durham City, the Durham Dales and the Durham Coast.
Discover the world-famous Durham Cathedral and Castle UNESCO World Heritage Site in historic Durham City, or step back in time at Beamish Museum and Locomotion, home to highlights of the national railway collection in the world’s first railway town. At Killhope, experience life as a 19th-century lead miner.
Art lovers can explore remarkable collections at The Bowes Museum or visit nearby Raby, home to one of England’s finest medieval castles and gardens. For outdoor adventures, head to the dramatic Durham Coast, the Durham Dales in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, High Force waterfall, Hamsterley Forest for mountain biking, or Derwent Waterside Park for wildlife spotting.
Latest festival news
More great names join the line-up for Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2026
Brothers who convinced a Dragons’ Den judge to invest in them, the latest winner of The Great British Bake Off, a presenter of the popular BBC
This Morning chef makes Bishop Auckland Food Festival return
Celebrity chef Phil Vickery is to make a welcome return to a popular North East food festival this spring. Phil, who has graced screens for more
Trader applications open for Bishop Food Festival
Traders can now apply to be part of one of the region’s biggest food festivals. Bishop Auckland Food Festival returns next spring, on Saturday 18 and
Travel arrangements announced for Bishop Auckland Food Festival
Heading to Bishop Auckland Food Festival this weekend? Organisers have announced travel arrangements for getting to the event. Bishop Auckland Food Festival returns to the town
Book your stay
For information on places to visit, eat and shop, plus accommodation and special offers, visit the county’s official tourism website – thisisdurham.com
The Durham Visitor Contact Centre is also on hand to help:
Call: 03000 26 26 26
Email: visitor@thisisdurham.com
Text: ‘Visit’ and your enquiry to 80011
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, closed weekends and Bank Holidays.
Calls – cost of a local call, calls from mobiles may vary.
Texts – standard network charges apply.
