Carriage Shed Highlight Feature

Carriage Shed Highlight Feature

The Carriage Shed has been a hive of activity and entertainment so far throughout 2019. From foodie festivals to electronic music day raves, we have performed events for all walks and areas of the Chester community, with many more in the pipeline.  Here we look at 5 of the best.

Vintage Market

We kickstarted the year with the well-known, national market, Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, who returned to host Chester Vintage & Street Food Market! The venue welcomed over 40 vintage traders selling quirky fashion and accessory pieces, as well as authentic homeware and furniture from the 1940s through to the 90s. We had five of the North West’s top street food traders pitch up to help sustain shoppers on their ventures, including gourmet grilled cheese from Press & Melt and authentic Italian cooking from Luigi Street Food.

Gin Festival

Working with a trusted partner from the city, we held Gin & Bake on May Day Bank Holiday weekend. This Spring soiree saw local stall holders selling baked delights and gin stands offering sampling and unique flavours. The bar created speciality gin cocktails and there was a programme of music throughout the day with performances from community acts and acoustic artists. The highlight of the day was, Winner of 2017’s Great British Bake Off, Sophie Faldo, making a special appearance for a live baking demo, where she showcased her tips and skills of the baking business!

The Makers Market

On two occasions this year, the Carriage Shed has been brought to life with the bustling activity of the Makers Markets. Consistently popular, these Sunday’s have reeled in a big crowd from Chester, with over 70 stalls at each event exhibiting handmade jewellery, homemade produce, organic gifts and lots more. Our April and June instalment saw over 2,000 people descend to the venue, with some sensational street food from local traders such as Little Pickle and Vegan House Foods. Stutter and Twitch brought the coffee fuel and tunes, and visitors could relish hearing the stories of the makers and their creations, with many traders selling out stock.   

The Rum Festival

This year marked The Rum Festival’s debut appearance at the Carriage Shed, and it was a hot one! The site was transformed into a rum-drinker’s paradise, with a lively bar where the charismatic bartenders would shake up a cocktail of your choice, and over 100 different deluxe rums available to try and buy. Four-piece dance band, Mojito Salsa, created Cuban vibes within the space, which were maintained by funky soca duo, The Lutenants. West Midlands Jerk Centre rustled up the finest sticky jerk chicken money can buy, accompanied by deep fried plantain, salad and homemade sauces.    

Day Party

We welcomed back local favourite, Nghtwrk, on the 6th July for their Open Air 002 event at the Carriage Shed. Having sold 800 tickets, the anticipation for this event was huge, and on the day of its arrival, it didn’t disappoint. The team had collated an eclectic mix of DJ’s, from regional resident names, to national artists like Pawsa and Mason Collective. The day event ran on into the evening, with the crowd predominantly made up of young rave-goers, dancing and drinking until it got dark.   

And the magic doesn’t stop there;

we still have lots more happening under our roof in the latter half of 2019. August sees the return of the Chester Vegan Market and Gin & Disco, while September and October welcomes back Judy’s Vintage Fair and the Makers Market for some exclusive shopping opportunities. Plus, there’s our Carols at the Carriage Shed event with local charity, Vineyard53, happening early December to spark the festivities. Make sure you keep up to date with event announcements and updates via our website and social media channels.

Fancy a slice of the Carriage Shed action? We are now taking bookings for our 2020 calendar, and are on the hunt for new, innovative events to fill our versatile venue! If you have any ideas you wish to discuss further, drop an email to charlotte@thissolidground.com.   

By Charlotte Pacey