Levenshulme Market, or Levy Market to regulars, has recently announced that it will be taking a break from hosting its community market, however it is not going without a good ol’ birthday bash. Having been running for the past 10 years, the volunteer-led organisation has decided that the market which hosts loads of independent artisans, makers, performers and businesses every week will trade for the last time this July, and will be celebrating its 10th birthday this weekend.
Kicking off the celebrations with their night market on June 16, from 5pm to 9pm, the fun will continue the following day on June 17, transforming Levenshulme Train Station car park into a buzzing birthday bash. Visitors can expect live music, festival stilt walkers, a face painting and glitter station, five minute portraits, a dog show and local pop-ups from the likes of Bud’s Garden Centre, Bopcap Books and Heart & Parcel.
Plus, what is Levy Market without plenty of street food on offer? You’ll find pop-ups from What’s Your Beef, Archchi’s, Gwafuvegan, Korean Grub Club, Just Gyros, Dough So Good and Oi Dumplings on the Friday night, as well as a birthday beer collaboration with Ventile Brew Co. Plus, there will be sweet treats from Lush Brownies, Mary’s Cakery Makery, Glazed MCR and Ginger’s Comfort Emporium, who have also created a birthday collab ice cream flavour with Levenshulme Market.
On the Saturday, from 10am to 4pm, Levenshulme Market will play host to street food traders such as Cibus, Bon Street Food, Jyoti Momo, Pad Thai Stall, The Samosa Guy and Hungry Little Critters. You’ll also find bakes from Sally’s Dream Cakes and ice cream from Exclusive Scoop.
Issues with their site license agreement, the knock-on effect of the pandemic and cost of living crisis, staff changes, a hacked Facebook page, cars left behind and increased fly tipping onsite are some of the reasons why Levenshulme Market has chosen to take a break. The organisers said “it felt like everything has been thrown at us and it’s taken its toll.”
From mid-July, Levenshulme Market will be taking a break from both their Levenshulme Station and Bridgeford Street sites, with the last market taking place on July 15 and the final night market happening this week (June 16). The market said: “It’s clear we need some time to figure out how we move forward in a sustainable way. We need to reset. Take a step back. We really want to future-proof the market we love, so everyone can enjoy it for many more years to come. So our final market of the year will be Saturday 15th July.”
A statement from Levenshulme Market said: “In the meantime our 10th Birthday Weekender on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th June is fast approaching and will be a moment to come together and celebrate our amazing community that have made the market what it is to date. We’re extremely proud that we’ve reached 10 years of trading and have provided a welcoming and supportive space for so many independent artisans, makers, performers and businesses. If you cherish the community we’ve created please join us for this special 2-day celebration.
“…Levenshulme has changed so much since we started back in 2013 and we’re proud to have played a key part in its flourishing independent scene. We’ve weathered many storms over the years and if you can allow us to take shelter for a while we’ll do our very best to come back stronger than ever in 2024.”
Levenshulme Market’s 10th Birthday Weekender will take place on June 16 (5pm-9pm) and June 17 (10am-4pm). You can find out more about the event, future markets and Levenshulme Market’s break here.