Whalley Artisan Market to become a permanent fixture in the Ribble Valley

Organised by Crafty Vintage with support from The Whalley Chamber of Trade and investment from BOOST, Lancashire's Business Growth Hub, the market first took place in October before returning in November and December with a hugely popular Christmas Market.

This year the Artisan Market will go monthly, commencing on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th March and will then take place over the last weekend of each month following.

The idea behind bringing the market to Whalley was to entice a wider demographic into the village from surrounding areas and provide additional footfall to the retail boutiques and cafe bars. It also creates an alternative to online shopping.

Each market is brimming with a wide range of stalls featuring homemade items and locally sourced produce. There’s also live music, DJ’s on vinyl and a crafty corner where new skills can be discovered and developed.

Initially introduced as a trial, the overwhelmingly positive response to Whalley Artisan Market made making it permanent for 2022 an easy decision for Crafty Vintage Founder, Laura Johnson.

“We were blown away by the reaction to the Q4 events and it has continued to go from strength to strength,” said Laura.

“Market weekend is always buzzing and it has definitely helped entice new visitors into the Ribble Valley. I’m looking forward to seeing it continue to grow and develop in 2022 and help encourage even more people to come and ShopLocal in Whalley.”

John Atherton, from Whalley Chamber of Trade, added: “We’ve loved bringing the Artisan Market to Whalley and seeing King Street so busy. “The challenge will now be to make the offering even bigger and better than before and we already have plans to enhance the market and dovetail with other key events throughout the year."