Details of the grand opening of Darley Street Market next month have been announced, and they include chef demonstrations, live music and children’s activities.
After numerous delays, the £30.9m market will finally open its doors to the public on July 12.
The opening will be accompanied by a weekend-long series of events involving traders and special guests, and visitors will be able to watch the Wimbledon finals on the market’s huge screen.
There will be culinary masterclasses from local and regional chefs, including Imogen Tilt, head chef at The Hawthorne in Haworth, and Master Chef UK 2023 Quarter Finalist Owen Diaram.
Chefs from the new Darley Street Kitchen, the market’s new street food court, will also be showcasing their cuisine with cooking demonstrations.
There will be a talk from Rate My Takeaway star Danny Malin and his wife Sophie Mei Lan.
There will be children’s activities including Aardman creative workshops and films from the Wallace and Gromit creators.
For under fives, there will be activities for children to explore colour and textures.
People can create their own printed postcard by following a trail throughout the market.
Visitors to the opening celebrations will be able to get involved in creating a collaborative piece of artwork with local pottery company, Salt Pots, which will help people to hand-paint a tile linking personal stories to the new market.
Music will be provided by buskers, DJs, singers and bands curated by Bradford Music Scene.
On Saturday, there will be demonstrations from the Bradford Model Engineering Society, and on Sunday, join in with a games session of dominos and Ludo which will be run by the Dominican Association.
People will be able to watch the Wimbledon finals unfold live from Centre Court on the big screen at the market.
On Sunday, July 13, there will be more Wimbledon-themed fun with local plant-based cake company Eden Pie, decorating strawberries and cream cupcakes and ‘tennis players’ from local street theatre company Q20, interacting with visitors.
Outside the market on Darley Street there will be face painting and henna tattoos, while Playful Anywhere will be transforming the street into a food-themed playground for children to enjoy.
More details of the events and activities to celebrate the opening of the new market will be released over the coming weeks.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport said: “We can’t wait to welcome people to Darley Street Market.
“This is just a flavour of what we’ve got organised for our opening weekend celebrations. The stalls will be open and trading and there will also be tasters and giveaways.
By: Chris Young, LDRS
