Midtown Makers Gift Shop - BLOG

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.

Discover how the jack-o’-lantern came to be, and why its flickering face still haunts our doorsteps. This is the tale of a rogue who cheated the Devil, and was cursed to roam the earth forever, carrying his hollowed-out turnip with its hellish ember glow.

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.