Craft fair going strong

The Guildhall Craft Fair is still going strong after 20 years and thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the hugely popular annual event this month to stock up on quality handcrafted gifts in time for Christmas.
The Mayor Brenda Stevenson pictured at the launch of the annual Guildhall Craft Fair which is taking place from Friday to Sunday, November 14-16.
Included are from left, Elaine Griffin, Tourism Project Officer, Milner Audrey Doherty, Mary Blake, Head of Tourism Development at Derry City Council, Deirdre Harte, Craft Development Officer, Derry City Council. Details of the event are available at www.festivetime.com.The Mayor Brenda Stevenson pictured at the launch of the annual Guildhall Craft Fair which is taking place from Friday to Sunday, November 14-16.
Included are from left, Elaine Griffin, Tourism Project Officer, Milner Audrey Doherty, Mary Blake, Head of Tourism Development at Derry City Council, Deirdre Harte, Craft Development Officer, Derry City Council. Details of the event are available at www.festivetime.com.
The Mayor Brenda Stevenson pictured at the launch of the annual Guildhall Craft Fair which is taking place from Friday to Sunday, November 14-16. Included are from left, Elaine Griffin, Tourism Project Officer, Milner Audrey Doherty, Mary Blake, Head of Tourism Development at Derry City Council, Deirdre Harte, Craft Development Officer, Derry City Council. Details of the event are available at www.festivetime.com.

The Guildhall will be a hive of activity on Friday, November 14; Saturday, November 15; and Sunday, November 16 as the Craft Fair signals the beginning of Derry City Council’s exciting ‘Festive Time’ programme.

Over the course of the Craft Fair weekend 40 exhibitors from across Ireland will display an impressive range of traditional and contemporary handcrafted fashion, textiles, accessories, jewellery, ceramics, woodturning, cosmetics, speciality food and confectionery.

The city’s Mayor, Councillor Brenda Stevenson, said she was delighted that the Guildhall Craft Fair was celebrating its 20th anniversary and looked forward to browsing among the treasure trove of assorted craftwork for something special herself when the doors open for business.

She said: “We are extremely proud of the success of the annual Guildhall Craft Fair and visitors to our beautifully restored civic landmark will be assured of a very warm and festive Derry welcome.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our local craft makers on their hard work in preparing for this annual event, and wish them every success in showcasing their excellent range of bespoke products.”

Mary Blake, Tourism Officer with Derry City Council, said: “We are delighted that the Guildhall Craft Fair is now so well established that people make a point of saving the date to come along in search of inspirational yet affordable gifts whilst also supporting our hugely talented craft sector.

“We are proud of the fact that so many regular visitors make special return trips to attend our Craft Fair and enjoy all that Derry has to offer as a family friendly destination with so much to see and do.”

The 40 exhibitors are all based across Ireland with a number of the Derry crafters currently availing of Derry City Council’s Craft Development Programme which aims to support the development and growth of the local craft sector through enterprise and export opportunities.

The Guildhall Craft Fair 2014 will take place in the Guildhall, Derry on Friday, November 14 from 2pm - 8pm; Saturday, November 15 from 10am – 6pm; and Sunday, November 16 from 11am – 5pm. Admission is £1 for adults and free for children under 14.

More details about the Craft Fair and a list of all the exhibitors is available at http://festivetime.com/craftfair.html#ExhibitorsFor information on Derry City Council’s Winter Events programme including Fashion Fest (November 20 to 23); Christmas Lights switch-on (November 20); and Christmas Village incorporating traditional Christmas Markets (November 28 to December 21) visit http://www.festivetime.com/

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