It's time to Love Your Local Market

The free Love Your Local Market Family Fun Day takes place on Saturday 25 May, between 10am and 3pm, to mark the eighth national Love Your Local Market fortnight campaign that celebrates all that is great about our beloved markets.

Kicking off at 10am, the event gets underway free face painting and a market trail where vouchers can be won and spent at the wide range of stalls at Stockton's traditional market.

Costumed characters will be up and down the high street from a host of children's favourite TV shows and movies including Super Mario and LOL Surprise.

And seeing as the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is in the region, it's only right we have some live music on offer. The Kets will be playing a selection of top tunes by the fountains between 11am and 1pm.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, said: "We know just how high of a regard all of our local markets are held in by our residents and the Love Your Local Market event gives us all a chance to come out and celebrate a great family day at Stockton's traditional market.

"The Borough's markets have a rich history going back over 700 years and they really help to bring town centres to life as bustling hives of activity and trading.

"As well as Stockton, we have terrific markets held in Billingham on Mondays and Fridays and Thornaby's market is open every Thursday - they're both well worth a visit!"

Love Your Local Market fortnight runs between Friday 17 May and Friday 31 May and is organised by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) and has been successfully embraced in 24 countries worldwide.

If you visit the event in Stockton, be sure to tag any photos you post to social media with the #LYLM2019 hashtag!

For more information on the Borough's markets, visit Our Economy.