The temporary home for Barrow Market will be officially opened this week.
Traders have moved into the Mall and the Old Meat Hall and to mark the milestone, a twilight event is planned for Friday, November 22.
An evening of atmospheric entertainment, food and drink and shopping is planned.
Traders supporting the event include Kick Ass Cheese, Coastline Brewery, Hart’s, Flicker: Handmade by Lisa, Mane Man, Tuk’s, Lynne’s Menswear, Retro Cove, Crepes and Shakes, Angel Beauty, Mobile Man, Sillfield Farm, Tina’s Custom Cakes and Confection, Chips Computers, Pet’s Paradise, The Wool Baa, Chewy’s Confectionary and Bentley’s Bedding.
The free event from 4pm to 8pm will feature music from New Sass and Emma Sax and will also be supported by CanDo FM. There will also be mulled wine and mince pies, as well as a selection of wines and beers, on sale.
The event marks all the traders settling into their new homes while work starts on the multi-million-pound revamp of the Market Hall.
The new units in a specially-designed, modern spaces in The Mall and the Old Meat Hall, with access from Dalton Road, will be home for the traders for the next two years.
The Wool Baa, Pets Paradise, Chewy’s Confectionery, Bentley’s Bedding and Sillfield Farm are now trading in the former meat hall and join Chips Computers, Tina’s Custom Cakes & Confections and Mane Man. In the Mall are Mobile Man, Crepes & Shakes, Angel Beauty, Retro Cove, Lynne’s Menswear, Harts, Flicker – Handmade by Lisa and Tuk’s Thai foods.
From December 2, Barrow Market will be open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9am until 5pm, and every Tuesday and Thursday from 9am until 4pm – apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
There will also be late night shopping on Friday December 6 from 9am until 8pm.
The work is part of a £17.5 million Government-funded scheme to reinvigorate the Market Hall, neighbouring arts and entertainment venue The Forum and the public realm that surrounds it to attract more people into the town centre, bringing the community together and boosting the local economy.
As well as transforming the market and The Forum, a Town Centre Community Hub will be created within the Market Hall to showcase local culture, activities and events, and provide meeting space.
There will also be the creation of a pocket park/outdoor events space off Dalton Road, where three buildings were demolished, will enable the delivery of a programme of events to encourage community participation and increase of the number of visitors to the town, Westmorland & Furness Council said.
