The national campaign aims to attract new market traders and highlight the importance that markets play at the heart of the local community, not only for retail but also as a valuable community asset that provides a real focal point for our town and city centres.
LYLM 2014 will run from 14-28 May and this year there will be activities going on throughout the fortnight! The programme of activities will include:
- ‘A Taste of Cambridge Markets’: From Wednesday 14 to Wednesday 28 May Cambridge Markets will be running a "Taste of Cambridge Markets" event which will see food producers on the markets showcasing their products with free food tasting and live demonstrations. There will also be ‘taster sessions’ and demonstrations on mending bicycle punctures, musical lessons, needlework demonstrations and more!
- ‘Best Dressed Stall’ Competition (new for this year): Market Traders are taking part in a ’Best Dressed Stall’ competition in conjunction with the Cambridge News. A panel of judges will then draw up a shortlist and we will be inviting the public to judge the winners through an online poll through the Cambridge News. The competition will be judged according to the following criteria: Originality/Creativity, Visual Impact, and Coherence of the display as a whole. The winning market trader will receive tickets for a family of four to a show at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, www.cornex.co.uk.
- ‘How do you see Cambridge Market?’: A competition for people to paint, sketch, or photograph the Market and its Traders, or write a story, poem or song. We will have three categories for this competition & will award a prize to the winner in each category. The competition is open to adults & children. The public will be invited to view & vote for their favourites. The collection will be displayed in the Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge between Wednesday 14 – Wednesday 28 May, between 11am – 3pm. Everyone who votes will be entered into a prize draw & the winner of the draw will receive a prize also. To enter the competition to display your piece of artwork, photograph or story, poem or song, either complete the entry form, which you can find online at www.cambridge.gov.uk/love-your-local-market or call 01223 457465 or email heather.bevanhunt@cambridge.gov.uk.
Emma Thornton, Head of Tourism & City Centre Management said, "I am delighted that we have a new event this year for LYLM 2014 and would encourage everyone to vote for the best dressed market stall, through the Cambridge News online poll. We are also looking forward to the ‘Taste of Cambridge Markets’ events and this year we will have live demonstrations from market traders and ‘taster sessions’, which will give residents and visitors to Cambridge the chance to see how fantastic Cambridge Markets are, if they haven’t already! Hopefully this will inspire them to enter the Markets competition and paint, photograph or write a story, poem or song about Cambridge Markets!"
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