Designer Mart does Fridays!

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane takes place every Saturday in the Old City area of Temple Bar and the good news is that during December this market will also run on two Fridays!

Now is your chance to pick up that extra special, unique hand made gift for that someone special this Christmas.  The Mart has a whole range of designs in jewellery, fashion, home ware, visual arts, photography and more.

If you haven’t already had a chance to visit Designer Mart on Saturdays then put Friday December 11^th and 18^th in your diary.

For a full list of Designer Mart traders visit http://www.templebar.ie/home_nav_32_m_3.html

Kids’ Christmas Crafts workshop at the Gutter Bookshop this Saturday

Join us in The Gutter Bookshop on Saturday 12th December between 1pm and 5pm to make a lovely decoration for your Christmas tree! Suitable for 5 to 13 years (or younger if there’s an adult to help, or older if you just want to pretend you’re a child!).

The Gutter Bookshop is a new independent bookshop based on Cow’s Lane in the Old City area of Temple Bar in Dublin.  It takes its name from the famous Oscar Wilde quote “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”.

Contact The Gutter Bookshop for more details:

Collection dates for Temple Bar Food Market

A selection of producers from the Temple Bar Food Market will be on Meeting House Square on Tuesday 22^nd and Wednesday 23^rd of December from 9am – 11am to accommodate the collection of fresh produce for Christmas.

If you have ordered fresh produce from one of our producers be sure to check collection details directly with them.

All three of our markets will run every weekend in the run up to Christmas with both the Temple Bar Book Market and Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane trading extra dates to make life a little easier for you!

Christmas Favourites at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children – Win tickets here!

Celebrate Christmas with some of The Ark’s favourite events!

Join The Ark for Christmas Inklings with visual artist Liz Smith on Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 November. Illustrate, design and construct a pop-up card or picture capturing Christmas tales and winter wonders!

On Saturday 21 November at 11.30am, 3 – 5 year olds will draw animals, trees and winter scenes which will be transformed into pop-ups! At 1.30pm, 6 – 8 year olds will construct 3-D foldable forests, buildings and Christmas characters which will move from side to side with the technique of pull-outs. Then at 3.30pm, 9 – 12 year olds will investigate more advanced methods of paper construction with moving pop-ups and pull-outs. On Sunday 22 November, the whole family can create their own special pop-up card or picture at 12.30pm or 3pm.

Christmas Inklings workshops for schools take place from 24 November – 18 December, see www.ark.ie for more details.

Every weekend from 28 November – 20 December, musicians Nico Brown and Martin Brunsden return to The Ark – their favourite Christmas venue – for a fun and festive hour of musical performance and participation. Traditional and original songs and stories will bring you and your family on a musical experience this Christmas. Hear instruments familiar and exotic including the angklung, a tuned bamboo rattle from Java with a melodious sound. There will also be a special opportunity for everyone to play in the return of The Christmas Angklung Orchestra.

For full programme details, prices and booking please see www.ark.ie, phone 01.6707788 or visit The Ark, 11a Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

The Ark and Temple Bar Cultural Trust have teamed up to give away four tickets for Music at Christmas with Nico Brown and Martin Brunsden on Saturday 28 November at 4pm to one lucky winner.

The angklung, the tuned bamboo rattle which will be played as part of The Ark’s Music at Christmas concerts, is traditionally played in which part of the world?

1. Ireland                        2. Java                    3. America

THIS COMPETITION IS CLOSED – Congratulations to Susan-Jayne who won four tickets for Music at Christmas with Nico Brown and Martin Brunsden on Saturday 28 November at 4pm!

Christmas is switched on in the Old City Temple Bar!

Come and join us tomorrow for late night shopping, mulled wine and mince pies in the Old City area of Temple Bar!

We will be switching on the Christmas tree and street lights in the Old City area of Temple Bar on Thursday November 27th. Come down and join us for complimentary mulled wine and mince pies (while stocks last!), late night shopping and music and dancing from the Drogheda Brass Band from 6.30pm. Our 30ft Christmas tree and impressive LED street lighting will hopefully put you in the festive mood!

A free programme of events will then run each Saturday until the 20th December, creating a magical festive atmosphere throughout the streets of Temple Bar and at the three outdoor markets; Designer Mart Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar Food Market and the Temple Bar Book Market.

The programme includes elves on stilts and children’s workshops, Christmas carols, a visual nativity exhibition with a difference, a Christmas-themed movie and book reading as well as eco-friendly gifts and the chance to learn how to achieve a sustainable kind of Christmas.

Full programme of Christmas events is available on www.templebar.ie for more details.