Midtown Makers Gift Shop - BLOG

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

Ballymena is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2026, marking four centuries since King Charles I granted the land to the Adair family in 1626. To commemorate the occasion, we have highlighted a few notable women from the town’s history who we hope inspire todays generations of women to achieve whatever what’s in their hearts and minds.

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.

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.

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