Latest news with #CoventGardenMarket
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘We're all about community and family': Third annual Island Fest hits downtown London
The sights and sounds of the Caribbean can be found in downtown London this weekend. The third annual Island Fest is underway at Covent Garden Market Rotary Square and Talbot Street. The event features vendors, food, and performers from as far away as Trinidad. There's also a Kiddie Corner. Cherie Leslie, marketing and social media director, says it gives people a chance to soak up Caribbean Culture in the heart of the city. 'In the Caribbean, we're all about community and family, so it's nice to bring the community and family to London here as well,' said Leslie. 'Many moons ago, we used to have these kind of festivals, then they kind of disappeared. So, we decided it was time to bring them back, and here we are, and every year they ask for when's it going to come back, and what we're expecting, so it's great to know that people actually want to see this and come out to support.' Island Fest is a free event, which runs through the weekend.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘We're the hub of the city': Covent Garden Market again hosting weekend events
While Island Fest signs were going up on the south end of the Covent Garden Market square, construction work continued on the north end. Island Fest will be the second event hosted on the square since it partially re-opened two weeks ago. Construction closed access to square since last September. During that work, vendors and restaurants were still available inside the market. While many businesses have a dedicated clientele, they also rely heavily on events in the square to draw new customers in. Covent Garden Market General Manager Amy Shackleton stressed that they did their best to keep people coming, 'Just getting the word out that we are open. We're open six days a week and we're here and ready to serve.' Island Fest organizers were happy to see the re-opening of the square. Building on the success of last year's gathering, they expanded their event out onto Talbot Street. London's Covent Garden Market Island Fest organizers put signs in place for the weekend event on July 25, 2025. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) There were concerns that weather-related construction delays might push back the market square re-opening, forcing them to another location. 'I will not lie, we've been on our tippy toes a little bit, but we made it. We made an executive decision to stay with the square. This is our home, and this is where we're going to stay,' said Wendy Bhagwandeen, an operations coordinators for the event. Island Fest is a three-day event and starts Friday at 4 p.m. Bhagwandeen understands the sounds of the Caribbean may have to compete with the sounds of the jackhammer early in the event, 'The construction noises will die down as the day progresses.' While events have returned to the square for the weekends, Shackelton told CTV News that access during the week will continue to be limited with work continuing until mid-September. London's Covent Garden Market Construction will continue on the Covent Garden Market square, seen on July 25, 2025, until mid-September. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) 'During the week, we do have the square closed just so they can finish up the work that has to be done. But every weekend we've got something booked in to the square, is open,' said Shackelton. Shackelton recognizes the importance of the square to all businesses in the area around the market, 'We play such a big role. We're the hub of the city. You know, people come down here, they look forward to these cultural events. So, we know the importance of being able to showcase the diversity here in London. And it's so important. So that's why we really, really made sure to make this happen, that we can make sure to have the events and activities here.' The Saturday morning Farmer's Market has also returned to the market square. It had been moved to Market Lane, off of Dundas Street. Also returning in the winter will be the Covent Garden Market skating rink. Shackleton said the total cost of the work being done is about $5 million.
CBC
23-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Market Square construction moves outdoor farmers' market to Dundas Place
Construction outside the Covent Garden Market is expected until July 1 Image | Construction at Covent Garden Market Caption: Construction has begun on Market Square at the Covent Garden Market in London, which is expected to take three months to complete. (Travis Dolynny/CBC) Open Image in New Tab The Market Square at Covent Garden Market is under construction this spring, which means the weekend outdoor market and early spring festivals will be happening on Dundas Place. "Construction started in our parking garage last year, so it has been going on for some time," said Sam Regier, the events manager at the Covent Garden Market. "This is just the next phase, but structural repair work is taking place." The construction is expected to be complete by July 1, without any major changes to the outdoor space. "The ice rink and everything will be going back in, and the layout of the square will essentially be the same," said Regier, adding that there will be no interruptions to the inside of the market during construction. The outdoor farmers' market that traditionally takes over the square on Saturdays starting Easter weekend will be moving to Market Lane, a pedestrian corridor between the market and Dundas Place. "Some of the larger events that have formally taken place on the square are either confirmed coming over or are still figuring out if and how they can come over to Dundas Place," said Ryan Craven, the manager of Core Area Programs at the City of London. "We want this to be a community space. We want this to be a thriving economic space for the businesses and that's what we continue to work toward," said Craven. Upcoming events happening along Dundas Place: March 28: London Knights Playoff kickoff April 3: Art Crawl Thursdays begin April 12: Vintage on the Block May 3: Free Comic Book Day Changes coming to market hours Starting May 1, the Covent Garden Market will be closed on Mondays, then open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The changes mean vendors will have one day off a week, and people who live downtown and attend events will have more time to visit the market when it's open. "We're really excited for the square to be done and welcome back all of the festivals that have been here in the past, and also welcome some new ones to the square this year," said Regier.
