The festive season will officially kick off at Ballymaloe when the annual Craft Fair makes its return to the beautiful East Cork location over the weekends of November 17th and 24th, with both weekends promising a wealth of unique shopping experiences, delightful culinary experiences and a vibrant Christmas market ambience.
The Ballymaloe Craft Fair's mission is to provide a platform for local artisans to showcase and sell their creations, champion Irish-made products, promote sustainability, and offer a safe and enjoyable family-friendly event for all attendees.
With over 150 exhibitors each weekend, thousands are expected to visit the grounds at Ballymaloe Farm and savour the unique talent of both new and returning producers who will be showcasing their talents for textiles, glassware, sculptures, art, woodwork, jewellery and leather goods.
The Ballymaloe Craft Fair places a huge emphasis on family, and children’s activities and workshops will be available on site, keeping little ones busy while grown ups sip on mulled wine or enjoy a coffee and cake. There will also be an array of hot food from artisan producers, tasters from drink producers and much more.
Operations Manager at Ballymaloe Grainstore Bree Allen said the Craft Fair is a must for those who want to shop locally this Christmas: “Each year we carefully select the best crafts Ireland has to offer and we have different stalls each weekend, with many people visiting twice. The Craft Fair is a fantastic celebration of both the breadth of talent across the country, and the goodwill and support of the thousands of people who support these talented makers, particularly at Christmas time. A visit to the Ballymaloe Craft Fair takes all the stress out of starting your Christmas shopping, combining a beautiful location with a huge variety of crafts and design.”
Laura Behan, General Manager of Ballymaloe House Hotel said; “The Ballymaloe Craft Fair is one of the biggest events on our calendar and it’s a fantastic way to utilise the Grainstore and the other great amenities on site here at Ballymaloe. It’s wonderful to think of the amount of beautiful and sustainable products by Irish makers that are sold at the Craft Fair every year, it makes us very proud to be part of the ‘shop local’ movement at Christmas time.”
The Ballymaloe Craft Fair provides free all-day parking and this year will see a shuttle bus running daily from Midleton train station, via Cloyne to Ballymaloe and then onto Ballycotton and back again. Entry to the Craft Fair is €8.00 per day with children under 12 free. There’s also the option of a three day weekend pass for €16.00. For more see www.ballymaloegrainstore.com.
