Grand Day Out at Plymouth City Market

The major refurbishment work at Plymouth Market is coming to an end with a Grand Day Out on Saturday 30 September to celebrate its completion.

The refurbishment works have given the Grade II listed building a new lease of life, lightening and brightening the building in the city’s West End.

To welcome customers old and new to this unique Aladdin’s Cave of shopping and eating, the market is holding a big celebration for all the family on 30 September and everyone’s invited.

Matt Jones, Market Manager said: “We’re so pleased with the outcome of the refurb works that we had to throw a party for everyone to come and see the results!

“We wanted to thank all our existing customers for their continued support throughout the disruption and entice new customers in to see what they’ve been missing.

“We’ve got a great line up of activities taking place throughout the day, from free ‘have a go’ workshops to classic cars on show, free tasting sessions, live music, street entertainers and our very own finals of ‘Plymouth’s Top Talent, in conjunction with Radio Plymouth.

“And if that’s not enough, we’ve teamed up with the West End Food Fayre in Frankfort Gate: local celebrity chef Peter Gorton will be cooking up a storm exclusively using ingredients from the market and chatting with our stall holders.”

The celebrations start on Friday 29 September with a free 'Tea Dance with a Twist', run by Plymouth Dance from 12.30 to 3.30pm. A dementia-friendly event, everyone will be welcome to come along and put their best foot forward.

The Grand Day Out will run from 10am until 4pm. A key highlight will be the grand finals of Plymouth’s Top Talent, hosted by Radio Plymouth. The winner will receive the fantastic cash prize of £500 as well as the opportunity to perform on the Radio Plymouth stage on the Hoe on Bonfire Night.

Madcap street entertainers will be roaming the market to keep everyone amused and looking over their shoulder. They will also be joined by some familiar faces as some of the market’s regular music acts play a mix of favourites songs, old and new.

Car enthusiasts are in for a real treat as classic motors will be on show around the Market: if you’re a luxury car lover or a timeless motoring devotee, come and swoon over a selection of some of the best cars in the South West.

Council leader Ian Bowyer said: “We’ve invested in the Market as it’s the anchor for our West End. It’s somewhere with a strong sense of community and a place which not only has a lot  of shoppers, but is a place where many businessmen and women start their entrepreneurial journey.

“It’s a very distinctive listed building which needed sensitive updating. I’m thrilled to see the work finished and look forward to seeing lots of people at the Grand Day Out as well as afterwards. I hope more people pop in to see what makes it special to Plymouth."

Steve Hughes, Chief Executive for the Plymouth City Centre Company, said “We’re delighted that Plymouth City Council has ensured the future of Plymouth Market for years to come with this significant investment in refurbishment works. I hope that this will act as a major catalyst for more investment in the West End moving forward.”

There will still be time to browse the 140 stalls, eateries and cafés and discover great value purchases from the friendly stall holders, who offer a wide variety of goods from fresh local food to fashions jewellery, beauty products, haberdashery, fabrics, household goods – the list is endless.

There are also many eateries and cafes to relax in at Plymouth Market from coffee and cake to a full-on English breakfast or something more exotic, such as Vietnamese and Thai food.

There will be a separate release nearer the time about the project development.