Garden centre business which houses nearly 50 crafters looks forward to hosting unique events
A business which houses nearly 50 crafters at a Northampton garden centre looks forward to hosting two unique events throughout August.
The Shack, which opened at Woodmeadow Garden Centre in March last year, was founded by Karen Akhtar – who wanted to give independent crafters the opportunity to rent a space and sell their goods.
The shop has always been bursting at the seams and Karen assures customers they will never see the same thing twice at The Shack, making for a quirky experience.
The aim was, and still is, for The Shack to become the go-to location for people to purchase gifts – as well as creating a welcoming place to be.
The business is hosting two events this month as it is a quiet time of year with many on holiday, and Karen hopes this will give them a much-needed boost in trade.
The first is the Psychic Fair planned for this Saturday (August 9), with mediums, crystal sellers and sound bath facilitators in attendance.
There will be free entry and parking, and no charge for anything besides readings and purchases that visitors make.
The next event is the Dog Show from 11am until 3pm on the upcoming Bank Holiday Monday (August 25). There will be a £2 charge per entry across the eight categories and as this is the first event of its kind at the garden centre, it is hoped to become annual.
With a tearoom and vintage emporium on site, Karen encourages visitors to make a day of their visit to Woodmeadow Garden Centre for these “action packed” events.
“It’s important that we keep everything local and we need the community to support us to keep going,” said Karen. “Without their support, another one will bite the dust.
“Where we are, when you come off the main road, people say it’s completely different, has a calming atmosphere and good vibes. We like to see as many local people as we can.”
Having celebrated The Shack’s first anniversary in March, Karen was asked how business has been since then.
She admitted the heatwave has hit them a lot as footfall at the garden centre was lower, but she is hopeful that business will pick up as time goes on.