Halifax businesses unite for Fiver Fest as punters urged to support indies
Totally Locally event has been a huge success across the country
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
I hope you’ve had a good week so far as 2026 continues to rattle through weeks at a great pace!
In today’s edition, we’ve got full details of how you can grab a bargain in Halifax this week in a bid to help local businesses.
Dozens of shops, hospitality, museums and other businesses are signed up to the Fiver Fest which offers punters something brilliant for just five quid! Check the list below and get planning!
Plus a couple of other tidbits in our Calderdale Digest.
So, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
👷🏻Calderdale councillors are being asked to approve the council’s capital spending programme when they meet next Monday, including an additional £4.48 million to complete a long-awaited new leisure centre.
Recommending the £451 million programme, covering currently expected spending on capital projects for 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 and onwards, Cabinet councillors agreed additional capital investment needed for some schemes.
These include Clifton Business Park, new vehicles for waste services which the council starts running in partnership from August, refurbishing playgrounds, highway maintenance (£4 million a year for three years), the Pride In Place programme helping disadvantaged neighbourhoods and the new leisure centre with swimming pool being built at North Bridge, Halifax.
The councillors heard a fully market-tested cost plan for the latter on materials and labour bringing increasing cost certainty and assurance for the project, forecasts an additional £4.48 million required to complete the leisure centre, now expected to cost £36 million.
The papers set out funding sources for the capital projects which, said Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre, come from grants (£261.2 million) followed by prudential borrowing (£167.4 million) – councils can borrow for capital projects at a lower level of interest rates.
Another £12.3 million will come from revenue (day-to-day spending) budgets and another £10.4 million from capital receipts from sale of council assets.
🚒 Todmorden Hippodrome suffered a small fire yesterday with crews from Lancashire and West Yorkshire called to tackle it.
The fire, in a loft space at the theatre on Halifax Road, is believed to have been caused by some kind of electrical fault.
Smoke was seen coming out of the top of the theatre at around 4pm and the road was blocked temporarily as crews brought it under control.
No other details have been given about the cause or the level of damage the theatre sustained.
But a spokesman for Todmorden Hippodrome, which is undergoing a major renovation project, said: “Thanks for all the well wishes. All under control thanks to the Fire Brigade.”
Fun for a fiver? Head to Halifax for a bargain to help local businesses
By Andrew Greaves
More than 50 businesses in Halifax have signed up to take part in the town’s Fiver Fest, which kicks off this week.
The premise of Fiver Fest, organised by Hebden Bridge-based Totally Locally, is simple - independent businesses offer something for five pounds in the hope that it drives people to spend locally rather than with the big boys.
It’s been running across the country for a number of years and is the brainchild of Chris Sands, who runs Totally Locally alongside his other business The Good Company, which works with places and brands on their marketing and engagement.
Chris started Totally Locally in Calderdale way back in 2010 when Calderdale Council put out a call for a shop local campaign.
A spokesman for Halifax BID, which is helping co-ordinate this year’s Fiver Fest in the town, said: “There are no vouchers and no sign ups. Just head into town, look out for the Fiver Fest posters and ask for the £5 deal.
“Whether you already shop local or want an excuse to try somewhere new, Fiver Fest is the perfect time to explore independent businesses in Halifax town centre.”
All the businesses taking part in Fiver Fest, which runs from February 20 to March 1, are independents and they get to choose what they offer for their £5.
It is estimated that for ever adult in Halifax spent just £5 per week with a local business it would bring an extra £17.2m per year into the local economy.
Here is a list of independent businesses taking part in Halifax Fiver Fest this February.
Food & Drink
• Astronomer Diner – A food and drink offer for £5
• Bebe Rose Boulangerie – A hot drink and any of their amazing cakes or brownies or cookies, also 5 macaron box
• Brothers Bakery – Freshly made sandwich and 3 mini pastry for £5
• Browns Café – Pie and peas plus a tea
• Circle Lounge – £5 for a pint of Moretti
• Coletta’s – Toastie, salad and a drink for £5
• Delicious – Cake and a hot drink for £5
• Downtown cafe bar – Full English breakfast
• Freddie Fowlers – Takeaway dish and a drink for £5
• Harveys of Halifax – Soup and half a sandwich in the Restaurant for £5.
• Healthy Bites Halifax – Snacks and Tea Bundle
• Hop In – Beer and a Snack for £5
• Just Gaia – Selected soap sets or refillables or a takeaway coffee or hot chocolate for £5
• Lily Spencer – 4 Hollands Pies for £5
• Little Lotus – Bubble tea or a Mixed Maki Set for £5
• Merrie England – 1 Jacket potato and 1 filling for £5 (extra filling 0.75p)
• Merrie England Express – 1 Jacket potato and 1 filling for £5 (extra filling 0.75p)
• Mustard & Mayo – Hot breakfast ciabatta and a hot drink for £5
• Phat Lava Lounge – Americano or tea with a slice of cake
• Refresh (train station) – Any Regular Hot Drink & Freshly Baked Pastry £5
• The Deli – A food and drink offer for £5
• The Hop Yard – Coffee, tea or a hot chocolate + a cake. Quote “Fiver Fest” when ordering
• The Hourglass – £5 Fiver Fest Cocktail. Quote “Fiver Fest” when ordering
• The Wine Barrel – Heritage Coffee & Cake – £5
• White Swan Hotel – Tea/coffee + fresh slice of cake
Shopping, Gifts & Retail
• Baby Bunting – Newborn beanie hat including embroidery
• Brown Paper Packages – Greeting card surprise pack 10 for £5
• Diva’s Boutique – Scarves and purses
• Ferns Market Plants – 2 small snake plants for £5, 2 Onion sets for £5
• Greens Photo Centre – 25x 6×4 Prints for £5
• Mary’s Florist – Rose plant or posie
• Mr Bailey’s Candy Cave – mystery £5 bag of goodies
• Pages N Pixels – Comic blind bags
• Paw Prints – Goodie bag/mystery bag
• Robbo Rocks – Personalised Easter Bunny
• The Chocolate Box – 6 Belgian Chocolates from our cabinet in a gold ribboned ballotin
• Toffee Smith – 3 mega bags of sweets for £5
• Unit e11ven – All natural essential oil soaps
Beauty, Health & Wellbeing
• Beauty Spot Warehouse – Body Jewellery £5
• Crown Jewels – Any Watch Battery Fitted for Just £5 or Any Plain Silver or Yellow Gold Ring Polished for Just £5
• Dolly’s – Eyebrow Threading
• House of 925 – Hair clip and cute stickers goodie bag
• Lash’d – £5 off full lash sets, nail sets and facials
• OMY Nails – £5 Nail Art with manicure
Experiences, Activities & Services
• Calderdale Industrial Museum – £5 voucher to use in any area of the museum
• Crossleys Cars – A £5 voucher for a taxi journey
• Eureka! – Surprise Goodie Bag from Gift Shop
• Open Gallery – £5 Art Workshop
• RSPCA Halifax, Huddersfield & Bradford – Recall training lead
• Sunny Play Gym – Play gym entry & child’s picnic plate + squash
That’s it for this edition of The Calderdale Lead.
We’ll be back with another edition on Sunday and, as ever, if there’s something you think we should be following up on, feel free to drop me a line on calderdale@thelead.uk.
Enjoy the rest of the week and we’ll be back in your inboxes on Sunday!
Andrew