Simply Christmas and Genuine Jersey have joined forces this winter to deliver the Island’s largest ever Christmas markets. The markets which will be held across two long weekends in December under the Simply Christmas name, will look to celebrate local artisans and producers whilst delivering festive entertainment to shoppers, families and visitors.
The popular Simply Christmas event, which was previously held at Greve de Lecq barracks, has teamed up with Genuine Jersey at their central town location in the Royal Square. This is the first time a local market of this size will be held, bringing together talented craftsmen, artists, designers and producers from the Genuine Jersey and Simply communities.
As well as over 50 different stall-holders offering gifts to inspire across the weekends, there will also be street performers, local bands, choirs and musicians, entertainment from Royston the magician and Morris dancers amongst others. Families can come along to participate in various activities including a Christmas hunt, a dedicated crafts area and a virtual reality experience.
Sarah Taylor, organiser of Simply Christmas, said: “This year’s Simply Christmas markets are a true celebration of local talent, bringing together over 50 skilled artisans, craftworkers and artists in the historic centre of St Helier. We are thrilled to be joining hands with Genuine Jersey for this unique event and hope that all who visit will feel infused with festive spirit and come away amazed by the creative talent within our small Island.”
John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “We were delighted to partner with Sarah on this winter’s Christmas markets. Making the event bigger and more inclusive for exhibitors will only help showcase the wide range of talent that we have on the Island. We would encourage as many people as possible to consider buying their gifts locally to support these small businesses and the local economy.”
The event is kindly being sponsored by Signtech and Islands Insurance with a raffle taking place to raise money towards Variety, the Children’s Charity of Jersey. Each stall holder of the market will be donating a product towards one of three hampers which can be won through purchasing tickets at the markets. Further funding has also been granted to the Genuine Jersey Products Association by the States Growth Department to support this annual event.
