Causeway Market vote opens ahead of 17 September awards

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-26 18:11 3 min read

Crowd of people walking through a street market with blue and white striped tents.

Twenty years of market-day favourites are being put to a public vote across Causeway Coast and Glens. Shoppers can now choose the stalls and products they believe deserve recognition in the Causeway Speciality Market 20th Anniversary Awards.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for Thursday 17 September 2026. Participation is listed as free, and voting is open online to the general public. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has not published a ceremony venue or start time, so anyone hoping to attend should wait for further practical details rather than assume walk-in access.

Three awards shaped by shoppers’ choices

The public vote covers three categories: Favourite Market Stall, Best Artisan Food Product and Best Artisan Craft Product. That gives regular visitors several ways to recognise the traders behind the produce, treats, handmade pieces and individual finds sold at the market.

Voters are not being asked to judge the market as a whole. The categories focus attention on specific stalls and products, allowing established favourites and newer discoveries to compete for recognition on their own merits.

For regular shoppers, the choice may be the stall they visit on every trip, a food product they routinely take home or a handmade item that has remained memorable. The council is also encouraging people who have discovered a trader more recently to take part rather than treating the anniversary awards solely as recognition for longevity.

The winning traders will be announced on 17 September as part of the market’s wider anniversary celebrations. No separate shortlist, judging panel or results timetable is described in the council notice, making the public ballot the central confirmed route for supporting a favourite.

Twenty years of traders, makers and producers

Established in 2006, Causeway Speciality Market has grown into Northern Ireland’s largest regular outdoor market. It brings traders, makers and producers together on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

Causeway Market vote opens ahead of 17 September awards

That twice-monthly rhythm has helped stalls build relationships with returning customers while giving newer producers a place to introduce their work. Some traders have been connected with the market for years; others represent the fresh ideas and products that have allowed it to continue evolving.

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Dawn Huggins said the anniversary was being marked by placing traders at the centre of the celebration. She described the ballot as an opportunity to recognise both long-standing favourites and recent discoveries.

The three-category format reflects the different reasons people return: loyalty to a particular stall, enthusiasm for something made to eat or appreciation for an individual craft product. It also keeps the vote rooted in the market experience rather than turning the anniversary into a purely ceremonial milestone.

How to cast a vote before the winners are named

Voting is open online through the Causeway Speciality Market public vote promoted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. The council notice does not state a closing date, so voters should submit their choices without relying on the 17 September ceremony date as a ballot deadline.

Anyone still deciding can review the market’s traders before selecting a favourite stall, artisan food product or artisan craft product. Only the ceremony date and free public voting status are confirmed at present; the venue, start time, transport arrangements and accessibility information have not been supplied.

Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

Event details and voting categories were checked against the published Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council notice.

Checks

Confirmed that the awards ceremony is scheduled for Thursday 17 September 2026.
Checked the three public-vote categories against the council notice.
Verified that voting is open online and that no venue or start time was supplied.
Checked the market’s 2006 launch and twice-monthly schedule against the source text.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Check wider coverage