The long wait for the return of Tiny Traders Village is over, as the ‘welcoming village of inspired craftsmanship’ returns to the city for the first time since 2019.
Founded in 2017, Tiny Traders started with an aim to provide space and resources to local vendors and highlight the exceptional artisan crafts Galway has to offer.
Previously situated in Nuns Island Theatre and Tribeton, Manager and founder of Tiny Traders, Paul David Murphy, says that this year’s Tiny Traders location will help to represent a “microcosm of Galway itself, the talent and the great people we have here.”
This year’s Tiny Traders will take place in Burke’s Lane, which is between Kashmir Restaurant and Monroe’s Tavern in the city’s westend and a private car park on the site which can allow for indoor activities. Open from 11am until 4pm, Tiny Traders will feature some 50 stalls featuring produce from local businesses.
Murphy said that supporting local has, “never been as important” and that events like Tiny Traders need to be protected. “Supporting local businesses has never been as important as it is at the minute. In the last couple of years, a lot of the unique businesses in the city have discontinued, for one reason or another so we need to make sure that we are preserving the city’s cultural identity and protect and support small businesses.
“Seeing Tiny Traders coming back makes me proud. There have been hard times, definitely, but Tiny Traders has made people very happy and we have kept participation costs low, so that it’s accessible. It’s a passion project for me and I believe that Galway needs it.”
Having taken a hiatus for the past couple of years during the pandemic, Murphy says that it seems as though the fame of Tiny Traders has somehow, “grown in its absence.”
Murphy had been discussing the growing appetite and anticipation for Tiny Traders return with one of the vendors who said, “I think people realised it was the kind of event people missed during Covid, the type of events that you don’t realise how much you miss them once they are not happening anymore.”
The Tiny Traders Village will run this Saturday and every Saturday up until, and including, Saturday December 17. Following a break in the New Year, Tiny Traders will be back in March 2023 on a more regular basis.
This Saturday will see a full range of craft items, vintage clothes, cosmetics, holistic produce and baked goods in the indoor section of the village, and food trucks and stalls with live music in the outdoor area.
Speaking about the upcoming launch, Murphy invited the people of Galway city and county to go and see it for themselves, saying, “Christmas is the most important time of year for craftspeople and there will be something for everyone here. It is a great time to support local businesses.”
More information about Tiny Traders Village and how interested vendors can participate, can be found on its website, https://tiny-traders-galway.myshopify.com/
