The Festival Leisure Park will once again fill with handmade crafts and local creations as the monthly Local Artisan Market returns to Basildon on 11 July 2026. Running from midday to 6pm, the event brings independent makers and small businesses together under one roof, with stalls offering candles, jewellery, homeware, fashion pieces, crystals and unique gifts.
Centre Manager Matthew Chambers said the park was pleased to welcome back the market after a strong turnout the previous month. Visitors browsed a range of local independent businesses, and the July edition keeps the momentum going as part of a wider family day out at the venue. Musicians and performers can also book free slots by emailing [email protected], while traders wanting a stall can register interest at [email protected].
The market has grown into a regular fixture since Festival Leisure Park first partnered with Pop Up Group Essex in August 2022. Hand‑picked stallholders now set up on the second Saturday of every month, a schedule that runs through to December. Past events have featured attractions such as permanent jewellery fittings with Soul Fused and live sets from Rock Choir, giving a platform to the area’s creative talent.
Entry remains free, and the market sits alongside the park’s other leisure options, so shoppers can move from browsing artisan wares to seeing a film or grabbing a meal without leaving Festival Way. With the second‑Saturday rhythm locked in for the rest of the year, the next gatherings will fall on 8 August, 12 September, 10 October, 14 November and 12 December.
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