Midtown Makers Gift Shop - BLOG

Celebrate August Craft Month and Ballymena's Creative Heritage with a Captivating Showcase of Traditional Crafts. As Ballymena town marks its 400th anniversary, the community is invited to join in a spectacular celebration of its rich history and cultural heritage through the art of traditional craftsmanship at Midtown Makers Gift Shop. On Thursday 20th August, from 6pm, this special event aims to highlight the skills, artistry, and creativity that have been passed down throu

The famous Ballymena Bear and his friend Bella have packed their picnic basket this Summer to Celebrate Ballymena’s 400th Birthday. Ballymena was founded in 1626, when King Charles I granted the Adair family the right to hold two Annual Fairs and a Saturday Market transforming a small village into a major commercial and agricultural hub. Ballymena has continued this tradition of a Saturday Market and Annual Fair for 400 years and has grown into a welcoming market town

My book Ralphie’s Day of Dress Up, focuses on imagination, positivity, and wonder. The story shows young readers that even when things do not go to plan, like Ralphie’s day, you can still choose to have fun and make the best of the situation. My next book featuring Susie teaches readers not to rush, as rushing can lead to mistakes. Instead, it encourages children to slow down, focus carefully, and not let adversity bring them down, but to face challenges with confidence.

Hilary Bailey is the author and narrator for Skyespringer, storyteller from the Gateway to the Glens. Skye’s Waggy Tales are eight beautifully illustrated storybooks featuring Skye, Russ, Jazz and friends’ adventures in real places; Donaghadee, Copeland Islands, Loch Lomond, The East Coast of Scotland, Causeway Coast and Glens and our home, Islandmagee.

Ballymena is often known as "The City of the Seven Towers", although it has never officially held city status. The nickname comes from seven prominent towers and steeples that once dominated the town skyline and could be seen from miles around. The title is generally credited to Sir Shafto Adair in the 19th century.

On Saturday, 23rd May, Ballymena marked it's 400 year anniversary of the historic 1626 Royal Charter granted by King Charles I to the Adair family. The event, organised by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, brought together people from all walks of life to honour the town’s heritage and look forward to its future. Among the many groups participating were Ballymena Business Centre / Midtown Makers team.

Ballymena Business Centre, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Ballymena, has officially launched a new Rotary Rest Space in Midtown Makers Gift Shop located on Church Street, Ballymena. This unique community initiative has been undertaken in celebration of Ballymena400. Guests were welcomed to the opening event by Debbie Chestnutt, Ballymena Rotary President, and Melanie Christie Boyle, Chief Executive of Ballymena Business Centre. The newly launched Rotary Rest Space

Located in the heart of Ballymena Town Centre on Church Street, the Rankin Room is part of the Ballymena Business Centre family. It is situated in the Business Hub, above Midtown Makers Gift Shop, and provides a prime location for businesses looking for a flexible meeting space.

The year 2025 was exceptional for Midtown Makers Gift Shop. We hosted a range of creative workshops, supported emerging and small local businesses, and revamped both the shop and our website. Additionally, we became the Visitor Information Hub for Ballymena. It was an eventful year, and we want to express our gratitude to all our members, customers, and supporters for keeping Midtown Makers a lively and creative spot in Ballymena.

Thank you Ballymena Means for the fabulous video, we are all super happy with our make over, hope all our Members and customers like it too.

In 2015, Ballymena’s town centre was introduced to a small, cuddly character who would go on to win hearts across the globe—Bertie the Bear. Commissioned by the Ballymena Business Improvement District (BID), Bertie starred in a four-minute Christmas short film that quickly became a viral sensation. What started as a local festive project soon grew into something much bigger, a story that captured the heart and soul of Ballymena and proudly placed it on the world map.

This September, the team at Midtown Makers were invited to join the new Mid & East Antrim Neighbourhood Tourism Hub's familiarisation tours, led by Patricia McEldowney of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Catriona, Jim and I were joined by Hub Members from Carrickfergus, Larne and Cullybackey to explore some of the many places of interest in the Borough.

A Region Steeped in Shadows: From racehorses cursed by holy relics to demonic pacts and ghostly coachmen, the Ballymena area is rich in tales perfect for Halloween. Whether you’re walking the Dark Hedges at dusk or passing Dundermot Mound under a full moon, you might just feel the chill of a story still being told. So light a candle, leave a little milk by the door—and if someone asks about the bridge at Glarryford…Don’t answer.

The new Tourist Information Hub is designed to enhance access to up-to-date details on local events, attractions, and activities. It features an interactive iPad for digital information access, detailed maps of the area, and striking imagery of the region’s impressive scenery. Knowledgeable staff from Midtown Makers Gift Shop are also on hand to offer friendly guidance and local insights.

"Retail Ready" is a pop-up-shop initiative managed by Ballymena Business Centre in partnership with The Gallaher Trust. This initiative...

RETAIL READY: Glen Houston's Granny Shaws Confections is now in Midtown Makers! On our Retail Ready Programme for 2 months, come and get your sweet treats including their amazing fudge 😋 "Granny Shaw’s Confections are award winning makers of traditional and nostalgic confections....

Ballymena Business Centre, in partnership with The Gallaher Trust and with the support of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Invest NI, hosted a dynamic business clinic for the creative sector this week in Midtown Makers Gift Shop. The event drew a strong turnout from local artists, makers, and innovators eager to explore the range of support available to help start, grow and sustain their creative business.

Ballymena Photographer, Nicole first started her Midtown Makers journey a year ago when she nervously came into the shop asking for help selling her photography. She signed up for the Retail Ready Programme, which gave her 2 months free test trading and vital advice from Ballymena Business Centre. With a lot of hard work and expert printing from Ryan at Woodside Photographic, Nicole displayed her pictures in the window of Midtown Makers and made her first sale in a retail env

🐝Tell It To The Bees 🐝 NEW Blog Post - Every month we talk to one of our fabulous Makers, and August is the turn of Queen Bee Fiona Doherty from HoneyComb.Cabin . From her kitchen table to her own workshop shed and winning awards, Fiona takes us on her un-bee-liveable journey of becoming a beeswax crafter.

Interview with Midtown Makers Member Linda Wray.