Cockermouth’s Kirkgate Centre is launching a new outdoor market next month to support Cumbria’s creative community.
Kirkgate Summer Market will be held on Saturday August 7 and Saturday August 21 in All Saints car park behind the Kirkgate Centre.
Emma Heys, Kirkgate’s executive director, said: “These new market events at the height of the summer season will offer a vibrant mix of shopping, entertainment and hospitality.
“There’ll be an exciting selection of 20 stalls with designers, artists and artisans bringing their original and handcrafted wares to town.
“Our volunteers will be running a Pimms Bar and local musicians will entertain the crowds. People can join in too – there will be open mic slots available.
“Our popular outdoor Community Café and Egremont Room bar will be open with free entry to two new local history exhibitions inside the centre.”
Kirkgate Summer Market, running from 10am to 4pm on both Saturdays, has been inspired by the wealth of creative artistic talent in Cumbria, alongside the 800th anniversary this year of Cockermouth being granted its Market Charter in 1221 by King Henry III.
The charity has been working with Allerdale council to enable the markets to take place.
The events are being organised with the input of the experienced company Blencathra Productions, which runs London’s Embankment Summer Market and Soho Flea Market.
Other partners are the Cumbrian artists’ organisation West Cumbrian Arts, the western brand of Eden Valley Artistic Network (EVAN), and Cumbria’s ETSY community, the online platform for custom-made, vintage, hand-crafted, decorative and customised gifts, accessories, homeware and fashions.
Emma added: “These summer markets will be as much an entertainment event as a shopping opportunity.
“The combination of affordable, original, high quality Cumbrian wares, music, local history and our community café and bar with home-made sweet and savoury bites is a first for us and for Cumbria.
