Eco Christmas Market to be held in Ballyclare

Organised by local environmental group, the County Antrim Countryside Custodians, this unique Eco Market will be packed full of brilliant ideas to help make your Christmas extra special this year and a little kinder to the environment too.

On show will be lots of top quality pre-loved Christmas decorations and toys plus the essential Christmas jumpers and many more items that are too good to lose to landfill (and won’t have all that unnecessary packaging either).

The market will feature a special re-gifting stall that will be brimming with those bits and pieces that have been thoughtfully bought as the perfect gifts, but were never used and ended up in the back of cupboards.

Talented local crafters will also be displaying original and creative gifts made from sustainable materials that look amazing plus there’ll be some delicious homemade baking available that visitors to the market can take home in their own containers. The town’s 23-time World Champions the Ballyclare Victoria Flute Band will also perform at the event.

The Ballyclare Eco Christmas Market really does have something for everyone and it’s the first ever in the borough, so make sure you don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to spend Christmas a little differently this year. The market will be open from 11am-3pm and don’t forget to bring your reusable shopping bags!

Speaking about the idea behind the market, the County Antrim Countryside Custodians’ Katherine McAdam said: “Our group has been planning an Eco Market for some time now and this year we think the timing is right.

“Lockdown has affected everyone hard, but people are coming through it with a stronger appreciation of the importance of supporting each other and how working together really can make a difference.

“The idea of reusing and regifting, particularly at Christmas, we believe fits well with that powerful spirit of community and a genuine willingness to make simple changes that can help our environment too.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has worked with us to make the event possible from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and the stall holders, to the many people who have kindly made donations, and in particular local business owner Lynn Colgan Budde at Make Do And Mend in Ballyclare who has helped coordinate the management of those donations.”

Supporting the hosting of the market in Ballyclare, Independent Councillor Michael Stewart added: “I am delighted that the County Antrim Countryside Custodians have chosen to bring the borough’s first ever Eco Christmas Market to Ballyclare.

“This promises to be a wonderful opportunity for all of us to see the many practical and original ways we can celebrate this very special time of the year that are kinder to our pockets and our planet.”

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