A day of fun with children’s entertainment will take place on Saturday 11 March and a special plaque will be unveiled by Deputy Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre, to mark a half century of trading.
Bilston indoor market first opened on 12 March,1973 with 88 stalls providing residents with a wide range of goods and services.
Some of the businesses from that time are still trading, including Bennetts café, Julie Hopkins hosiery, Nicholls fruit and veg, Pritchard’s fruit and veg, Sand’s Fish and Lawson Thomas meat, poultry and deli. Members of the traders’ families will be special guests at the fun day.
Other attractions at the event, which runs from 10am to 3pm, include free face paints and balloon animals for youngsters.
The market café will also be feeding hungry visitors with a special offer on afternoon teas with a celebratory glass of prosecco.
Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “A very happy birthday to Bilston indoor market hall! A fun day is planned so please come along and celebrate with us.
“At a time when a number of indoor markets are closing, I am really happy to say that Bilston is still going strong and we have full occupancy on stalls in the indoor market.
“Many generations of city families have had stalls here and many of our residents will have done their shopping at the market for years. It’s a really wonderful place to have a friendly chat with our stall holders and find quality goods at excellent prices.
“As a council, we’re aiming to keep all our markets open for many years to come with our package of support for young traders. We want to encourage a new generation of business owners so we can celebrate another 50 fabulous years.”
Bilston indoor and outdoor markets include almost 200 stalls, offering a huge range of goods and services including fresh foods, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, a large range of fashion, jewellery and shoes and household items.
There is also a café so shoppers can take a break and relax, as well as free car parking close by. Opening times are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8.30am to 4pm.
For more information about Bilston Market and how to become a trader visit Markets or call 01902 555200.
