Houlton Artisan and Covent Garden Quarter Market Update

Update: 28/03/2026 at 16:40

Following a further update to the weather forecast, strong wind gusts are now expected to arrive earlier than previously predicted.

As a result, and in the interest of safety for everyone involved, we have made the decision to cancel tomorrow's market on Sunday 29th March 2026.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and hope you understand that this has been a difficult decision, made with the safety of traders, staff, customers, and the wider public as our top priority. We are aware that a number of other markets across the country have also taken the decision to cancel due to the forecast conditions.

Thank you for your understanding.

Update: 28/03/2026 at 11:08  

We've been closely monitoring the weather forecast over the past 24 hours and can confirm that the Covent Garden Quarter Market will go ahead as planned tomorrow.

Wind speeds are expected to be manageable for most of the trading day given the location and surrounding buildings, we do feel it's best to continue as normal. Stronger gusts are forecast later in the afternoon, so to ensure our team can dismantle stalls safely and efficiently, the market will close earlier than scheduled at 15:00hrs, rather than 16:00hrs.

If there are any changes to this, we'll post it above under a new update.

Update: 27/03/2026 at 16:54

Following a detailed site assessment and taking into account the current wind conditions, we have determined that the Houlton Market site presents an unsafe trading environment for Sunday.

The site is fully open, with no surrounding buildings or structures to provide shelter. As a result, wind gusts can move freely across the area, posing a significant risk to both market stalls and traders' stock. Current forecasts indicate gusts of up to 42mph.

The safety of our traders and visitors is our top priority. Given the exposure of this location and the potential for sudden gusts, it is not possible to operate safely under the current conditions. For this site, wind speeds would need to reduce dramatically to make trading viable, which, based on the forecast, we do not anticipate.

The Covent Garden Quarter Market is currently planned to go ahead as normal. A final decision regarding this market will be confirmed tomorrow, Saturday 28th March, by 12noon.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we prioritise safety while monitoring the weather conditions.