A look back at our first two Christmas market weekends

The Christmas season is underway at Emery Gate, and our first two weekends of markets have welcomed local makers, community groups, families and shoppers for a lively start to December. With a variety of stalls, live music, children’s activities and the return of Santa’s Grotto, we’ve loved welcoming lots of visitors and hearing such positive feedback on the market so far. 

Market stall highlights

Shoppers enjoyed a great variety of local traders and makers, offering everything from gifts to treats: 

  • Wine Monkey with seasonal food and mulled wine. 

  • Public Art Chippenham (PAC) running creative workshops where children designed their own gingerbread people. 

  • Kandu Arts bringing live music throughout the day. 

  • Plants at Home with a selection of beautiful indoor plants and botanical gifts. 

  • Chippenham Community Hub showcasing homemade arts and crafts. 

  • Helen Barlow Studio offering prints and artwork perfect for thoughtful gifts. 

  • The Bay Tree with homeware and seasonal decorations. 

  • Little Garden Bakes bringing delicious festive bakes. 

  • Beckford’s Rum and Whisky offering rum and whisky gifts. 

  • NaturalCare Co with handmade skincare and home fragrance. 

  • Wiltshire Chili Farm with locally made sauces and spicy festive favourites. 

Activities and family highlights 

There was lots of festive fun to enjoy for all ages: 

Chippenham Community Hub 
Children could write and post their gift lists to Santa, adding a lovely magical moment for families visiting the centre. 

Live Music 
Kandu Arts brought a great festive vibe with live music throughout the day. 

Interactive Art 
PAC invited children to decorate gingerbread cut-outs and add them to the memory tree, creating a lovely festive display together. 

Santa’s Grotto – 11am to 4pm 
Families met Father Christmas in the grotto. Entry is £3.50 (cashless) and every child receives a gift. No booking required. 

Quiet Grotto Hour – 10am to 11am 
A calm, low-sensory session for children with additional needs. Contact us to book.

Bumper Cars Ride & Face Painting 

More market weekends to come 

With two successful weekends completed, there is still more to enjoy as we continue to host stalls, entertainment and family activities throughout December. 

Upcoming Market Dates: 
• 13 December 
• 20 December 

We look forward to welcoming visitors back for more local makers, shopping and community events at Emery Gate. 

Jayson Flores