By: @LittlePaintedLady
Hi It's Little Painted Lady here and it's now the countdown to Christmas with only 6 more sleeps to go before the big day and I've been round the city today to see all Christmas Markets.
So with Christmas on it's way in a matter of days I thought there was no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than spending the day in town at the ever popular Christmas Markets. This year the markets were dotted all about the city centre from the Guildhall Square to Bishops Gate , there was a little something for everyone, young and old.
I took my time and spent a little while at each one , I got to meet a few characters along the way.
I took my time and spent a little while at each one , I got to meet a few characters along the way.
My first stop was Guildhall Square:
My first stop was at The Guildhall Square, Here there were Gorgeous little log cabins lined along the Derry wall , offering an array of beautifully handmade gifts and treats, There was also the very popular hotfood stand, which I had to sample of course.... I chose the steak burger which I enjoyed while listening to the Amazing Choir who sung Festive Tunes to the busy shoppers from the steps of the Guildhall itself.
Craft Village:
Next I went to The Craft Village which is based on Shipquay Street of the City, This is where I got the most Festive feeling, from the moment I entered the Village until I left , every corner I turned there were Christmas trees, twinkling lights, choirs and happy, friendly shoppers who had all stopped in for a wee festive tipple .
Bishops Gate:
My next stop took me to Bishops Gate, here I was met with 2 huge marquee's. Inside where tables dressed with numerous home-made and hand-made gift, home decor and more, although one table in particular stood out to me , it was the URBAN VILLAGE one, here the guys had a giant cardboard Christmas tree set up beside them, on it there were endless post it notes, with different captions written on them, when i asked the guys what it was about they had said they asked what 3 things would help foster a positive community identity, then each person scribbled down what they thought and had posted it on the tree. They have set up a number of workshops around the city starting from January 2016 finishing in march 2016. venues are yet to be confirmed but be sure to check them out.
Millennium Forum:
My Last stop I happened to find by chance as I was on my way to the car as I hadn't known there were going to be any stalls there this year and upon speaking to a few of the stall holders they had said also that they handn't seen many visitors through-out the day.
These stalls were all adourned with home-made food items, baby knits and home decor, one stall had a very lovely lady who stopped to have a chat with me who had told me that she makes the very best whiskey marmalade in town... while another lovely lady who owns granny pats knits had shown me a beautifully hand painted flower pot that her daughter had gotten especially made for her as a present, to use for her stall.
These stalls were all adourned with home-made food items, baby knits and home decor, one stall had a very lovely lady who stopped to have a chat with me who had told me that she makes the very best whiskey marmalade in town... while another lovely lady who owns granny pats knits had shown me a beautifully hand painted flower pot that her daughter had gotten especially made for her as a present, to use for her stall.
So that was my visit to Festive Markets around city today and as you probably know I am a big fan of Christmas so you'll probably see a few more festive posts on Derry Vibe in coming days. I hope you enjoyed your sneak peak at Christmas Markets I enjoyed my day visiting them.
Follow my Twitter and share your photos from around Christmas Markets onto our Facebook and Twitter: @DerryVibe
Follow my Twitter and share your photos from around Christmas Markets onto our Facebook and Twitter: @DerryVibe