Kelham Island Museum all set for Magical Makers Emporium

22nd November 2018

The countdown is on to this year's new look Kelham Island Museum winter event, the Magical Makers Emporium.

The event which takes place on December 1 and 2 - will take visitors on an enchanted festive journey travelling back through time and feature more than 100 market stalls, aerial circus acrobatics, an array of heritage crafts and carnival workshops. The Magical Makers' Emporium will be set against the magnificent backdrop of the Kelham Island Museum collection complete with the mighty River Don Engine. [caption id="attachment_37310" align="alignright" width="200"] Duncan Edwards, artist metalworker.[/caption] Visitors will be able to browse the Emporium's five zones: All That Sparkles (gifts and jewellery), Carnival Courtyard (festive food and drink, the music hall stage) the North Pole Depot (Santa's grotto, makers and gifts), Christmas Gallery (Christmas stalls) and Sheffield Made (makers and artisan goods from Sheffield). As well as a Victorian vibe, the Magical Makers Emporium will have a slight Steampunk feel to it with innovation, creativity and imagination at its heart. Helen Featherstone, Director of Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, said: -We're looking forward to welcoming visitors to the Magical Makers Emporium and hope we help get everyone's festive season under way in a unique and interesting way. -This year's event has been created to animate Kelham Island Museum's industrial heritage story. "We were successful in gaining a grant form Arts Council England to work with local artists Ignite Imaginations, and to commission Sheffield Carnival to make carnival costumes which will reveal their new Carnival theme for the coming year. -There is a host of entertainment which will be new for this year, including the incredible Green Top Circus aerial acrobatics display and demonstrations by artisan makers, which will help us create a truly memorable experience. This year's event will also feature a great selection of food stalls offering tastes from around the world as well as gin cocktails, a prosecco van and mulled wine. Highlights of this year's event also include a Performers' Stage and Busker's Corner, which will showcase some amazing local talent, festive family crafts storytelling, as well as the opportunity to meet characters from Sheffield's steel story. There will also be a chance to meet Santa in his grotto. The Magical Makers Emporium will be open from 10am-7pm on Saturday, December 1, and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, December 2. Admission for adults costs £6 and children are free. Visits to Santa £3 and programmes £1.