On Friday the 14th of June Laois County Council and the Portlaoise Town Team launched the Portlaoise Summer Festival in Peppers Lane off Lyster Square. The Council and Town Team have been working closely with Portlaoise Farmers Market traders over the past year to improve the footfall and visual appeal of the Market and are currently looking at new locations for expanding the Farmers Market.
The first steps to improve the market took place in January 2019 when a new Farmers Market Logo, branded gazebos and windbreakers were unveiled to compliment the New Portlaoise Branding. Funding to improve the farmers markets visual appeal was primarily provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine (DAFM) through its Rural Innovation and Development Fund and supplemented by Laois County Council’s Business Support Unit.
The new branding was a huge success clearly delineating the market making it safer for pedestrians and traders attending the market while also creating an eye catching display to attract additional footfall to Market Square. The success of the market in recent months has seen an influx of new market traders looking to establish themselves in Portlaoise.
With the market expanding rapidly Laois County Council and the Portlaoise Town Team began to look at new locations for the market which would allow for future growth potential. The Farmers Market sub-group saw the potential of Peppers Lane (a largely disused laneway behind the Portlaoise Library) as a possible alternative location. At the May meeting of the Portlaoise Town Team, the members voted in favour of a four week trail for a market festival event in Peppers Lane running every Friday from the 14th of June to the 5th of July.
Portlaoise Summer Festival has already proven very popular with Portlaoise locals providing a vast array of fresh produce, crafts, artisan foods, flowers, fish and more from Laois and surrounding Counties. Friday the 21st of July saw the electrifying performance of Galway based musicians Galway Street Club and adding to the festival market atmosphere.
The festival has been a breath of fresh air regularly attracting over 800 people to Lyster Square and injecting some much needed life into town centre over the past 4 weeks.
Due to its unprecedented success the Portlaoise Summer Festival in Peppers Lane has been extended and will continue to take place every Friday until Friday the 20th of September. Visitors can expect more of the same great fresh food, confectionary, chocolate, fish, artisan products, vintage, fabrics, fashion and crafts throughout the summer. Trading from 8.30 am to 3.00 pm
If you are interested in taking part in the Portlaoise Summer Festival contact businesssupport@laoiscoco.ie with your name, contact details, business name and products as well as images. Please be advised that there is a waiting list for traders and that variety of products is a high priority. Preference will be give to local traders and trader which offer a new product or service to the market.
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