Fun filled festive programme for Triax with Winter Market and Santa

The Triax Neighbourhood Management Team have been working tirelessly in recent weeks to bring a jam packed programme of Christmas activities to the local community.
Local crafters will sell their creations in the marquee located on Bishop Street next Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8.Local crafters will sell their creations in the marquee located on Bishop Street next Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8.
Local crafters will sell their creations in the marquee located on Bishop Street next Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8.

The first event of the Christmas calendar takes place tonight, with ‘Christmas in Creggan.’

This fun filled event will kick off at 5pm until 9pm, with Santa himself arriving to switch on the lights on the specially donated big Christmas tree, just after 6.30pm.

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Tina Burke, Development Worker, said: “Join us tonight for a fun packed evening involving Creggan’s Big Switch on with Santa and Good Relation workshops with a Christmas twist.

Children will get a chance to visit Santa tonight, November 30, at the Corned Beef Tin in Creggan.Children will get a chance to visit Santa tonight, November 30, at the Corned Beef Tin in Creggan.
Children will get a chance to visit Santa tonight, November 30, at the Corned Beef Tin in Creggan.

“Music will be provided by Holy Child Primary School and local band D&D.

“There will also be amusements, elf workshops, and a craft fair with local crafters including the Crochet group and mens group.

“It’ll be an event for the whole family to enjoy.”

Next weekend will see the fifth annual Winter Market at Bishop Street and the Fountain.

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The festivities will kick off at 12 noon on Friday, December 7, with the marquee on Bishop Street opening to the public.

Inside the marquee, local crafters will be selling their wares, and they will also be joined by outside crafters.

Local school choirs and the Pink Ladies’ choir will provide musical entertainment on Friday.

Inside the Fountain, Santa’s Magical Reindeer Garden will provide fun for all ages. It will open at 3pm on Friday, and children can come along and meet Santa, pet some of the animals from Kid’s Farm, or visit the Wonder Wagon for some storytelling.

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On Saturday, December 7, breakfast will be served in the Marquee from 10am until 11.30am, and it is open to anyone who wishes to come along.

Speaking to the Journal, Development Worker Rachel Mullan-Carlin said: “On Saturday there is a really family focus at the market.”

From 12noon until 1pm, Scallywags will put on a puppet show for children. This will be followed by balloon modelling, face painting and henna tattoos from 1pm to 2pm. In terms of entertainment, there will be live music in the marquee all day with local acts performing. There will also be amusements and the Party Bus on Bishop Street until 7pm.

At 10am on Saturday, in the Marquee, there will be breakfast for anyone to come along. Scallywags will be putting on a puppet show for kids from 12-1.

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Santa’s Magical Reindeer Garden will also be open on Saturday. From 1pm to 2pm there will be a ‘quiet hour’ for children with additional needs.

The garden will then open to the public from 2pm to 7pm.

Development Worker Rachel added: “This will be the fifth year of the Winter Market. But this will be the most important year for us because of the trouble with anti-social behaviour over the summer.

“It’s good to utlise the space at Bishop Street, and do something positive in the area. Being able to open the gate at Bishop Street is a positive also.

“It’s always well attended, and there is something for everyone.

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“There will be a good range of crafts on sale. It’s a city wide event and it’s open to everyone to attend.

“When we started this five years ago, it’s when we started to get the residents from the Fountain and Bishop Street to come together and do craft workshops.

“They’ve formed really good friendships and they have stuck together and are still doing it at the minute, in the run up to the market.

“They start in September and it runs right through until December.

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“The Winter Market for us isn’t about making money, it’s about bringing residents together and utilising the space.

“A positive from this year is that we usually bring facilitators in for the workshops, but over the past five years, three residents in particular have built up their craft, and they are now facilitating the workshop.

“Anything our crafters sell, the money is split between them after the market.”

For more information, contact the Peace Walls Project on 02871261916.