May to September is best for everything outdoor: Quayside drinking, the Town Moor festival in late June, the Mela in August, the Great North Run in September. Winter is dark and damp but the Christmas markets along Grey Street are excellent, and the Hoppings — Europe's largest travelling fair — sets up on the Town Moor in late June. Avoid match Saturdays at St James' Park if you do not want to share the central pubs with 50,000 fans.