**The big picture**: Thousands of shoppers crammed into the quaint, historic thoroughfare as twenty local traders came together to create a new festive shopping experience in The Walk yesterday, Sunday, 01 December.
**The details:**
* Offerings included craft beer, preserves, fashion, jewellery, arts and crafts
* Traders set up stalls outside and in vacant buildings along The Walk
* The event coincided with the Artisan food market on the Cornhill
Shoppers were prompted down The WalkOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
Street traders lined The Walk as shoppers navigated their way down the historic thoroughfareOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
The weather didn't stop shoppers turning out in numbersOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
It was great to see the picturesque thoroughfare crammed with peopleOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
**Filling the void**: The market was set up after Ipswich lost its traditional Saints Christmas Market, which was cancelled several weeks earlier due to Ipswich Town's Premier League fixture against Manchester United on 24 November. The cancellation had left a gap in the town's festive calendar, with road closure permits already obtained and stall holders booked before the announcement.
**Behind the initiative**: The market was organised by Will and Jenny, owners of [Threads for All](/directory/organisation/threads-for-all), who opened their independent fashion and homeware store in The Walk in late summer 2024. Their shop specialises in gender-neutral and unisex fashion alongside accessories and homeware.
The event coincided with the Artisan Market on The Cornhill, creating a broader shopping experience for visitors to the town centre.Oliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
**The bottom line**: By bringing together independent traders, the Christmas market successfully showcased The Walk's potential as a retail destination for shoppers seeking unique, locally sourced products.