- Saturdays, St Patrick Square
- Artisan markets 11am–3pm
- Artisan stall £30
- Castlewellan Fair, May
Downpatrick's market trades every Saturday in St Patrick Square, 8am to 6pm. Council artisan markets run on the Newcastle Piazza on the first Saturday of the month and in Downpatrick on the third.
Selling in Downpatrick and Newcastle
- Artisan marketsCouncil expression of interest form each spring; 0330 137 4020
- Artisan cost£30 on the day; gazebo and 6ft table provided
- Artisan rulesMade by you, within the district or 30 miles; £1m cover; over 18
- Weekly marketsFacilities Management, 0330 137 4031; £12 a week Downpatrick
- Castlewellan Fair£20 pitch, £30 large; book six weeks ahead
Coming up
In Downpatrick and Newcastle
- Sun8NovNCC Craft MarketNewcastle Community Cinema, Main Street (inside and outside)LikelyMakers & craft
- Fri13NovTwilight Market at MontaltoMontalto EstateConfirmedChristmas
- Sun15NovArtisan Market KillyleaghKillyleaghConfirmedMakers & craft
- Fri27NovChristmas Craft Fair at Down Arts CentreDown Arts Centre, 2-6 Irish Street, Downpatrick BT30 6BPConfirmedChristmas
- Sat5DecCastle Ward Christmas Artisan MarketCastle Ward theatre space & Stable YardConfirmedChristmas
- Sat5DecChristmas Artisan Market at Castle Ward Stable Yard & theatre spaceCastle Ward Stable Yard & theatre spaceConfirmedChristmas
And 10 more in the app.
Every week and every month
- Downpatrick Saturday MarketEvery Saturday 8am-6pm · next Sat 7 Nov
- Downpatrick Artisan Marketon the 3rd Saturday of the month from March to December, 11am to 3pm · next Sat 21 Nov
- Ballynahinch Thursday MarketEvery Thursday · next Thu 5 Nov
- Castlewellan Monthly Market2nd Monday of the month · next Mon 9 Nov
Within about 15 miles
- Thu5NovComber Farmers' MarketSt Mary's Parish Church car park, Comber Square · about 15 milesConfirmedFood & farmers
- Sat7NovPortaferry Market on the SquarePortaferry Market House, The Square · about 8 milesConfirmedMakers & craft
- Sat21NovMoneyreagh Christmas Craft FairMoneyreagh Community Centre · about 15 milesConfirmedChristmas
- Thu26NovComber Christmas Fair in the SquareThe Square, Comber town centre · about 15 milesLikelyChristmas
Saturday in St Patrick Square, Downpatrick
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council lists a general market in St Patrick Square every Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Regular traders pay £12 a week, billed quarterly.
On the third Saturday of the month the council's artisan market comes to the same square, by the Grove car park, from 11am to 3pm.
From Belfast, the Goldline 215 bus reaches Downpatrick bus station, a short walk from the square, in about an hour.
Makers on the Newcastle Piazza
Newcastle Artisan Market sets up on the Piazza outside the Newcastle Centre, on the Central Promenade, on the first Saturday of the month, 11am to 3pm.
Every stall sells work made by the trader: art, jewellery, textiles, wood, pottery and small-batch food. The council began these markets as a trial in 2018.
The Goldline 237 runs from Belfast to Newcastle through Ballynahinch in about 75 minutes. The Newcastle Centre is a short walk south of the bus station along Main Street.
Castlewellan's Monday market and fair days
Castlewellan keeps a Monday tradition: the council market sets up on the second Monday of each month.
Castlewellan Fair fills Main Street and both squares on the May Day bank holiday Monday, 9am to 5pm, with makers, food, Irish music and children's entertainment.
A second fair follows on the first Monday in November. On fair day the Upper Square is closed to parking, so park free on the Bann Road.
Applying for an artisan stall or a fair pitch
Artisan traders fill in the council's expression of interest form each year; it opened in March in 2026 and is closed now. You must make what you sell, be over 18, and work within the district or 30 miles of the market.
A stall costs £30, paid on the day, with a 3m gazebo and a 6ft table provided; bring a chair. Show £1 million public liability cover. No more than two stalls of one product are usually taken.
For the Saturday market and Castlewellan, phone Facilities Management on 0330 137 4031. Fair pitches are £20, or £30 for a large one; book about six weeks ahead and hold £5 million public liability cover.
Seasonal markets at Castle Ward, Rowallane and Montalto
- Castle Ward, Strangford: Easter market, Halloween Bewitching Bazaar, Christmas market in early December
- Rowallane Garden, Saintfield: Easter craft market and a mid-December Yuletide Market
- Montalto Estate, Ballynahinch: Easter Fair and a Christmas Twilight Market
- National Trust admission applies at Castle Ward; members go in free
Saint Patrick's town and its fair days
In 1837 Downpatrick had a Saturday market and six fairs a year, one on 17 March, and about 700 linen weavers. Saturday is still market day.
Who to ask for a pitch
- Newry, Mourne and Down District Council – Artisan MarketsDownpatrick, Newcastle and Warrenpoint artisan markets: yearly expression of interest form, usually open in March; £30 a stall in 2026, gazebo and table provided; £1m public liability.website · email · 0330 137 4020
- Newry, Mourne and Down District Council – Facilities Management (markets and fairs)Pitches at the Downpatrick Saturday market, Castlewellan monthly market and Castlewellan Fair (book about six weeks ahead); £5m public liability.website · email · 0330 137 4031
- National Trust – Castle Ward and Rowallane GardenStalls at the estate markets and fairs; contact each property directly.website · 028 4488 1204
- Montalto EstateStalls at the Easter Fair, summer market and Twilight Market; ask the estate.website · email · 028 9756 6100
Where markets happen in Downpatrick and Newcastle
- St Patrick Square and the town centre, DownpatrickThe council's Saturday market, and the Downpatrick Artisan Market on the third Saturday by the Grove car park.Downpatrick town centre
- The Piazza, Newcastle CentreNewcastle Artisan Market on the first Saturday of the month, 11am to 3pm.10-14 Central Promenade, Newcastle
- Upper and Lower Squares, CastlewellanThe monthly market on the second Monday and Castlewellan Fair on the May Day bank holiday and the first Monday in November.Main Street, Castlewellan
- Castle Ward (National Trust)Springtide or Easter market, the Bewitching Bazaar at Halloween and the Christmas Artisan Market in the Stable Yard.Strangford, BT30 7BA
- Rowallane Garden (National Trust)Easter craft market, spring and autumn plant fairs, a summer heritage craft fair and the Yuletide Market.Just south of Saintfield
- Montalto EstateEaster Fair, summer sunset market and the Twilight Market in the Carriage Rooms before Christmas.Spa Road, Ballynahinch, BT24 8PT
- Donard ParkThe Eats and Beats food and music weekend with its producer fair in early September.Newcastle
- Down Arts CentreA Christmas craft fair on an early-December evening.2-6 Irish Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6BP
Questions about markets in Downpatrick and Newcastle
What day is Downpatrick market?
Downpatrick's market is every Saturday, 8am to 6pm, in St Patrick Square. The Downpatrick Artisan Market joins it on the third Saturday of the month, 11am to 3pm, by the Grove car park.
When is Newcastle Artisan Market?
On the first Saturday of the month, 11am to 3pm, on the Piazza outside the Newcastle Centre on the Central Promenade. Check the council's Facebook page in bad weather.
When is Castlewellan Fair?
Castlewellan Fair is on the May Day bank holiday Monday, 9am to 5pm, on Main Street and the Upper and Lower Squares. A second fair runs on the first Monday in November, and the monthly market is on the second Monday.
How do I get a stall at the Downpatrick or Newcastle artisan market?
Fill in the council's expression of interest form when it opens, usually in March. You must make what you sell and work within the district or 30 miles. A stall costs £30 on the day, with gazebo and table provided.
Christmas market near Downpatrick
Castle Ward near Strangford holds a Christmas Artisan Market in its Stable Yard on an early-December weekend. Rowallane Garden near Saintfield holds a Yuletide Market in mid-December, and Montalto Estate near Ballynahinch has held a Christmas Twilight Market.
Is there a market in Castlewellan?
Yes. The council market sets up on the second Monday of each month, and Castlewellan Fair fills the town on the May Day bank holiday Monday and the first Monday in November. Phone 0330 137 4031 about a pitch.