Food, drink, fabulous gifts, live music, fire eaters, and more - the first Taste Cumbria Carlisle festival (Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November) brought a brilliant buzz to the city.
Held in the Cathedral grounds, the event saw local producers selling out within hours, with crowds of smiling people enjoying the free family fun.
Taste Cumbria partnered with the monthly Carlisle Farmers Market and this first event saw 40 food, drink and artisan traders setting up stalls for the weekend. The two-day event was part of the Carlisle Fireshow celebrations and plans are already being made to return to the city in 2025.
The Taste Cumbria events are organised by Cumberland Council and bring millions of pounds into the Cumberland economy each year through their established events in Cockermouth, Maryport and Wigton.
Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said:
“What a fabulous weekend in Carlisle, and in Cumberland. This was the first Taste Cumbria event in Carlisle and it’s great to see the programme being extended to other areas within Cumberland.
“It was brilliant to see so many people with shopping bags packed with local treats from our Taste Cumbria traders - and to hear that so many of them sold out. It shows there is a real demand for more events like this in the city and we can’t wait to plan more to drive footfall and boost the economy still further.
“Thank you to everyone who came and supported it; the producers, the visitors, the musicians and entertainers, and our brilliant events team who made this first festival such a success.
“Taste Cumbria is back in Cockermouth on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December for the Christmas festival, then roll on 2025!”
The events programme was supported by the UK Government using UKSPF funding.