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

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.

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.

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.

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

How One Bicycle Threads Midtown Makers to Ballymena’s Textile Past. Written by Jim Stevenson Jim Stevenson stood outside Midtown Makers...

Welcome to Richard from Grain & Glory, who is trading here for 2 months on our Retail Ready Programme. "Hi, I'm Richard Fleck, Over the...

Ten years ago, the idea emerged to open a shop in Ballymena to accommodate growing art and crafts businesses.