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Brand new market to ‘bring a new lease of life to Chinatown’ in Manchester

Dragon Market will launch this weekend.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 5th December 2023

A brand new market is set to launch in Manchester this weekend, promising to inject life into the city centre’s Chinatown district.

The Market’s Dragon Market will be taking over the Faulkner Street car park with a range of street food traders, plus loads of local artists and makers.

The market has been created in partnership with Manchester City Council to ‘bring a new lease of life to Chinatown‘.

The mastermind behind Dragon Market is April Kennedy, founder of Vanoffee (and creator of those viral coffee-filled doughnuts), who says it will remind people that ‘Chinatown isn’t to be forgotten about’.

It’s hoped that the project will rejuvenate the area and increase footfall, with an attractive line-up of food and drink stalls as well as other local businesses.

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Already lined up for the launch event this weekend will be Birchwood Pizza, Vanoffee, Sunrise Patisserie (with mountains of pastel de natas), The Vakery vegan bakes, and a street food stall specialising in Thai food.

There’ll also be local brands like Wreaths by Florals by Ayla, Erica Pham Art, Double T’s Rum, MellowApricotStudio, and loads more.

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There’ll even be a mobile barbershop on site thanks to JiGGi.

A new market is launching in Chinatown in Manchester this week
A new market is launching in Chinatown in Manchester this week
A new market is launching in Chinatown in Manchester this week
A new market is launching in Chinatown in Manchester this week. Credit: Supplied

And the Dragon Market will be fully licensed, with boozy hot chocolates and mulled wines aplenty.

Announcing the news, they wrote: “We’re bringing a new lease of life to Chinatown with the Dragon Market! Get ready for exclusive traders serving up delicious food ranging from wood-fired pizzas to Thai, with plenty more to get your taste buds going.

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“The Dragon Market also features local artists, candlemakers, brewers, distillers, barbers and baristas!

“Set up by April Kennedy, founder of Vanoffee and Manchester City Council, this market is here to remind you Chinatown isn’t to be forgotten about.”

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Featured image: Unsplash

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‘Glittering winter adventure’ set to take over Tatton Park this Christmas

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The magnificent grounds of Tatton Park will be transformed into a ‘glittering winter adventure’ this festive season.

With spooky season now a thing of the past, and Christmas merely a few weeks away, families will soon be whisked away into a world of folklore, enchantment, and enthralling performances as they enter the gardens of the stunning Tatton Park in Cheshire for an immersive, festival-like experience known as Yuletide.

Organisers say the captivating event promises to be a “truly magical experience” where folklore stories come to life through storytelling and live music.

A ‘glittering winter adventure’ is set to take over Tatton Park this Christmas / Credit: Supplied

All set to transport visitors right into the heart of Yuletide tales, the exciting new event – which opens next weekend, and runs through until late December – is produced by Wild Rumpus, who you may know for other magical local events such as ‘The Lanterns’ at Chester Zoo (2018-2022) and Just So Festival.

The highlight of this new event has to be The Glittering Trail, where beautifully-illuminated puppets and performers bring legendary stories of Yuletide to life as visitors wander through the park’s popular Japanese Gardens and make the most of the stunning winter landscape.

Families can gather around an open fire to toast marshmallows, all while they watch live performances that add even more magic to the evening.

Yuletide will be running at Tatton Park on selected dates from Saturday 16 November through to Monday 23 December, and tickets are on sale now – with adult tickets costing £20, children paying just £12 each, and free personal assistant passes are also available.

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Find out more and book your tickets here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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Why Big Santa WON’T be in Manchester when the Christmas Markets open this week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Why Big Santa WON'T be in Manchester when the Christmas Markets open this week

The sheds have taken over the city centre already, with the huge Christmas Markets officially opening on Friday 8 November.

A big character during the festive season in Manchester is, of course, our light-up Big Santa.

He’s taken on a few different forms over the years, from the huge inflatable character who used to scale the Manchester Town Hall to the piercing gaze of the city’s legendary ‘Zippy’.

The newest Big Santa is a large fella sitting on a big present, sporting a white handlebar moustache and holding a Manchester bee in his hand.

Over the years, this festive figure has been joined by several other glowing installations, like twinkling baubles you can walk through and huge stars.

And when the markets were held at Albert Square, they normally opened with Big Santa proudly already in position.

But this year the arrival of the Manchester Christmas Markets doesn’t mean the start of the festive light trail, or the return of Big Santa – so don’t go looking for him on Friday.

That’s because he won’t be installed on his perch at St Peter’s Square until after Remembrance Sunday, with a poignant service being held at the Cenotaph in the square next weekend.

Manchester Christmas Markets 2024 - dates, locations, times and stalls confirmed
Big Santa won’t be there when the Manchester Christmas Markets open on Friday. Credit: The Manc Group

Father Christmas will be installed at St Peter’s Square in the days after Remembrance Sunday.

Speaking of the Manchester Christmas Markets, councillor Pat Karney said: “Nowhere does Christmas quite like Manchester and with more than a quarter of a century of our world-famous legendary Christmas markets under our belts, we reckon we’ve got everyone’s Christmas wrapped.

“The number of people who’ve visited our markets over the years must be well over the fifty million mark by now and twenty-six years on from our first-ever Christmas Market in 1998 we regularly attract visitors from around the globe.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone back again to Santa’s favourite city to enjoy the markets and share in all the festive fun. Grab some tinsel, find a friend or round up the family, and come and join us!”

The Manchester Christmas Markets open on Friday 8 November and close on Sunday 22 December, with Big Santa arriving in mid-November.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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