Traders Information

What is it? 

Posset Christmas Market is the biggest street Fayre in the town and attracts 1000's of visitors. Still till this day, the event is set up and run by the Portishead Christmas Lights Events Team who are all volunteers and strive to make this event better and better every year. 

A Posset Summer Market is new for 2026 and will follow a smillar format to A Posset Christmas Market.

We have a few allocations for all types of stalls, and we work on a first come first serve basis. If the allocations for your type of stall is full.  To trade at our events - Please use the Traders Pitch Sales Tab or the below button. Applying for a pitch does not guarantee you have one. Only once you have been accepted by us, you have paid and received your confirmation is when your pitch is guaranteed. 

PLEASE NOTE, IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPE OF STALLS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE A PITCH. YOU WILL BE DECLINED AND NOT REFUNDED.

• Political groups 
• National/Local Competitions. For example: win this car
• Fun Fairs 
• Osborne Books

The event has a number of types of pitch that can be booked dependant on how you trade, we ask you book the appropriate pitch type based on your trading pattern.

All traders will require £5M public liability insurance (this is a NSC stipulation);

Home Crafter - This Pitch Sales is for - Non-commercial/make at home crafting. This means all the items you sell must be hand made and you have no online presence or shop. We will need a copy of your £5m Public Liability insurance and Hygiene certification for food goods and Risk

Assessment where applicable.

Commercial Crafter –This is for crafting pitches where you have an online presence, you are a shop or Ltd company inclusive of purchased pre made crafts as a finished product and you, yourself have not hand made the items at home. We will need a copy of your £5m Public Liability

insurance and Hygiene certification for food goods and Risk Assessment where applicable.

Commercial Food Pitch - This applies to any pitches selling food and drinks to be consumed on site and not intended for gifting, etc. We will need a copy of your food hygiene certificate and a minimum of £5 public liability insurance and risk assessment where applicable.

Charity Pitch - You need to be a charity with a registered Charity number to apply for this pitch. You will need to apply for a street collection licence from North Somerset Council without this you cannot attend the event, this licence needs to be provided prior to the event.

Portishead Christmas Lights (the organisers) reserves the right to refuse applications without having to justify its decision.

Portishead Christmas Lights will hold the NSC licence that will allow traders to trade during the events organised by the Portishead Christmas Lights Events team only covering both the Christmas and summer Market. 

Crafters and commercial traders - All stalls have all their Licencing fees included in the pitch fee's all ready. So, there is no need to worry about applying for a Licence (Unless you are a charity of selling alcohol, which is stipulated below). 

TENS Licence – If you will be selling Alcohol to be consumed on site or Alcohol that is bottled as a gift you will need to purchase a TENS Licence from North Somerset Council. This must be supplied to Portishead Christmas Lights no later than 4 weeks prior to the event. Failure to submit this licence in time may result in you not being able to trade at the event and you will not receive a refund on the pitch.

Charity pitches - All Charities are responsible for applying for their own collection licence from North Somerset Council and this must be supplied to Portishead Christmas Lights no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. Failure to submit this licence in time may result in you not being able to trade at the event and you will not receive a refund on the pitch. 

Set Up

Traders will need to bring their own table(s) and are permitted to erect temporary gazebos or stalls; you must bring ways to weight the gazebo down and ensure safe use. If electrical power is need, you are permitted to bring a small, low noise, diesel powered generator, a risk assessment must be provided for this no later than 4 weeks prior to the event, failure to do so may result in the cancellation of your stall.

Allocation of pitches at the event is at the sole discretion of Portishead Christmas Lights. The High Street will be in 4 Zoned Areas, Zone 1 – Food, Zone 2 – Crafters, Zone 3 – Commercial Crafters/Crafters, Zone 4 – Fairground rides. 

Please note that it is a paved or tarmac surface. Please bring appropriate weights for any gazebos/tents as anchors. You cannot use pegs to peg them down with. 

Please ensure you have Public Liability insurance of £5m and that you have a valid risk assessment. If you are selling food products, you will also need a Food Hygiene Certificate. These documents must be supplied on booking your pitch and failure to do so will result in your pitch being cancelled. Documents must be in date and cover the event applied for ; copies must be supplied and be in date to Portishead Christmas Lights no later than 8 weeks prior to the event.  

IT'S AN OUTDOOR EVENT

All traders are reminded that this is an outdoor event. There is NO indoor space. Please ensure that your set up equipment includes protection to protect you and your product should the heavens open. 

As this an outdoor event there could be a chance of bad weather. If this is the case and the event is cancelled there will be no refunds as the proceeds go to the running of the Portishead Christmas Lights and the event. There will also be no compensation for loss of earnings.

Should there be a weather warning of Yellow or above within the 72 hours prior to the event the event may be cancelled, please refer to clause 12 for details.  

CHECK IN

Check in time is at 12:15pm, please do not arrive any earlier than 12:15 pm as you will not be allowed in to start setting up on site. You will be asked to come back at 12:15pm at the check in location.  You must be on the event site by 1pm. Any later than you may be refused entry and not able to trade. 

The check in location is at the Old Mill Pub end of town 

(Entry via Wyndham Way only) 

Postcode BS206AF   

What3words ///broker.glorified.marble 

There is no other access to site. If you arrive at any other location, you will be refused entry and be asked to check in at the Old Mill Pub end of town.  

The event trading times are 2pm to 6pm.

All stall holders must be off the public highway by 8:00pm.