Midtown Makers Gift Shop - BLOG

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.

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...

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.

🐝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.

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.