Keighley town centre will take a step back in time as it is transformed for a unique event this weekend (March27 and 27).

The K-Town Shopper weekend will provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a retro shopping experience, as the streets are brought to life by local artists through an arts trail, outdoor galleries, street performers and an ‘Alternative Department Store’.

Keighley’s K-Town Shopper is being organised by Keighley Creative in collaboration with Bradford Council as part of the council’s Spring Back 2022 campaign which aims encourage people to rediscover their local high streets.

Familiar areas of Keighley town centre including Church Green and Low Street will be reimagined as vibrant outdoor galleries and performance spaces showcasing the talents of local creatives. For one weekend only, Keighley will get its own alternative retro department store packed full of local independent businesses.

The ‘Alternative Department Store’ will take over Keighley Creative at the old Beales / Sunwin House building on Hanover Street. The store will be open, 10am-5pm on Saturday 26 March and 11am-4pm on Sunday 27 March.

There will be community art, historic tours, stilt walkers, flash mobs, art workshops and food demonstrations.

The Palomino Pizza company will bring their vintage horsebox with its wood-fired ovens to serve the best in Neapolitan style pizza, Bingley’s Peacock Bar will be serving up Indian street food and Goose Eye Brewery which is also based in Bingley, will bring their cracking craft beers to the event.

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Keighley’s own, Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop star Kate Kitchin will be teaming up with Keighley business Pickard Hardware Ltd and The Lion’s Den Shed, which is based at Cliffe Castle, to put on a ‘repair shop’ style event at the ‘Alternative Department Store’ on the Saturday.

Get your photograph taken with one of the Bradford Police Museum’s retro police motorbikes, Keighley photographer Charles Waller will be hosting a nostalgic gallery of Keighley’s shopping heritage from past decades and family friendly Toy Lab Workshops will see old toys repurposing into new creations.

For the arts trail the streets of Keighley town centre will be filled with artwork including:

• A life-size paper doll station where visitors can dress up in iconic looks through the ages for that perfect Instagram snap.

• A gallery of series of portraits of the people behind beloved local businesses

• Large scale and bold fabric banners designed

• Nostalgic post boxes depicting iconic market stalls from Keighley’s past and present. Post and share memories of shopping in Keighley.

• Search for an iconic “lost dog” and go on a digital journey through Keighley’s musical history along the way.

• An interactive projection featuring all your favourite childhood toys.

• Paste-ups celebrating Keighley's top shopping destinations in the early 2000s.

• The “Royal Arcadians tour” takes visitors on a trip though the shopping streets hidden below the Royal Arcade.

All the events are free and most require no booking but organisers are asking people to register for free tickets for the creative workshops or the Royal Arcadians tour.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to fund such a great event in Keighley. This weekend of exciting events and activities provides the perfect opportunity for the local community to come together and support local businesses in a free-entry, family-friendly event.”

The Arts Trail part of the weekend is funded by the 2014 to 2020 European Regional Development Fund Programme, Northern Powerhouse, HM Government, Bradford City and Bradford2025.