Fair or wakes
Fairs and wakes represent some of England’s oldest customary gatherings. Originally rooted in religious observance and seasonal necessity, these events developed as essential focal points for trade, community and celebration. Horse fairs brought traders together to buy and sell livestock. Michaelmas fairs around 29th September marked the end of harvest. Mop fairs allowed agricultural workers to seek new employment. Wakes, commemorating parish church dedications, evolved into boisterous festivals combining religious observance with secular merriment.
Both fairs and wakes shaped English folklore and custom, generating their own music, dances and stories. Though many traditional fairs have now transformed into general fun fairs and amusement events, others persist as folk customs, preserving continuity with centuries of English tradition.
By tag
Today
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Fri 23 Oct All day
Tomorrow
- Sat 24 Oct Ilkeston Charter Fair
Sunday 25 October
- Sun 25 Oct Ilkeston Charter Fair
Monday 26 October Hunter’s Moon
Thursday 29 October
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Thu 29 Oct 09:00 16:00
Monday 9 November New moon
Wednesday 11 November
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Wed 11 Nov All day
Thursday 12 November
- Thu 12 Nov Loughborough Fair
Friday 13 November
- Fri 13 Nov Loughborough Fair
Saturday 14 November
- Sat 14 Nov Loughborough Fair
Tuesday 24 November Beaver Moon
Wednesday 9 December New moon
Thursday 24 December Cold Moon
Thursday 7 January New moon
Friday 22 January Wolf Moon
Saturday 6 February New moon
Saturday 20 February Snow Moon
Monday 8 March New moon
Monday 22 March Worm Moon
Friday 26 March
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Fri 26 Mar 09:00 16:00
Tuesday 6 April New moon
Tuesday 20 April Pink Moon
Monday 3 May
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Mon 3 May 10:00 16:00
Thursday 6 May New moon
Tuesday 18 May
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Tue 18 May from 10:00
Thursday 20 May Flower Moon
Friday 4 June New moon
Saturday 19 June Strawberry Moon
Wednesday 23 June
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Wed 23 Jun All day
Custom, day 1 of 5
Cambridge Midsummer Fair
Sets off from Midsummer Common, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Thursday 24 June
- Thu 24 Jun Cambridge Midsummer Fair
Friday 25 June
- Fri 25 Jun Cambridge Midsummer Fair
Saturday 26 June
- Sat 26 Jun Cambridge Midsummer Fair
Sunday 27 June
- Sun 27 Jun Cambridge Midsummer Fair
Sunday 4 July New moon
Monday 5 July
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Mon 5 Jul from 11:00
Sunday 18 July Buck Moon
Friday 30 July
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Fri 30 Jul from 05:00
Monday 2 August New moon
Tuesday 17 August Sturgeon Moon
Saturday 28 August
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Sat 28 Aug All day
Sunday 29 August
- Sun 29 Aug Ould Lammas Fair
Monday 30 August
- Mon 30 Aug Ould Lammas Fair
Tuesday 31 August New moon
- Tue 31 Aug Ould Lammas Fair
Wednesday 8 September
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Wed 8 Sep 09:00 22:00
Thursday 9 September
- Thu 9 Sep Neath Fair
Friday 10 September
- Fri 10 Sep Neath Fair
Saturday 11 September
- Sat 11 Sep Neath Fair
Monday 13 September
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Mon 13 Sep 09:00 16:00
Wednesday 15 September Harvest Moon
Saturday 18 September
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Sat 18 Sep All day
Saturday 25 September
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Sat 25 Sep from 10:00
Sunday 26 September
- Sun 26 Sep Masham Sheep Fair
Wednesday 29 September
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Wed 29 Sep 11:00 23:00
Custom, day 1 of 4
Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair
Sets off from St Matthew’s Field, Bridgwater, Somerset
Thursday 30 September New moon
- Thu 30 Sep Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair
Friday 1 October
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Fri 1 Oct All day
Custom, day 1 of 10
Nottingham Goose Fair
Sets off from Forest Recreation Ground, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Fri 1 Oct Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair
Saturday 2 October
- Sat 2 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
- Sat 2 Oct Bridgwater St Matthew’s Fair
Sunday 3 October
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Sun 3 Oct All day
- Sun 3 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
Monday 4 October
- Mon 4 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Mon 4 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
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Mon 4 Oct 12:00 22:00
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Mon 4 Oct 12:00 23:00
Tuesday 5 October
- Tue 5 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Tue 5 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
- Tue 5 Oct Abingdon Michaelmas Fair
Wednesday 6 October
- Wed 6 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Wed 6 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
Thursday 7 October
- Thu 7 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Thu 7 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
Friday 8 October
- Fri 8 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Fri 8 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
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Fri 8 Oct 16:00 23:00
Saturday 9 October
- Sat 9 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Sat 9 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
- Sat 9 Oct Tewkesbury Mop Fair
Sunday 10 October
- Sun 10 Oct Ballinasloe October Fair
- Sun 10 Oct Nottingham Goose Fair
Monday 11 October
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Mon 11 Oct All day
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Mon 11 Oct 08:00 22:00
Wednesday 13 October
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Wed 13 Oct All day
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Wed 13 Oct 09:00 21:00
Thursday 14 October
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Thu 14 Oct All day
Custom, day 1 of 3
Pembroke St Michaelmas Fair
Sets off from Main Street (by the Town Hall), Pembroke, Pembrokeshire
- Thu 14 Oct Banbury Michaelmas Fair
Friday 15 October Hunter’s Moon
- Fri 15 Oct Pembroke St Michaelmas Fair
- Fri 15 Oct Banbury Michaelmas Fair
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Fri 15 Oct 17:00 22:00
Saturday 16 October
- Sat 16 Oct Pembroke St Michaelmas Fair
- Sat 16 Oct Banbury Michaelmas Fair
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Sat 16 Oct from 12:00
- Sat 16 Oct Warwick Mop
Wednesday 20 October
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Wed 20 Oct All day
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Wed 20 Oct 15:00 23:00
Thursday 21 October
- Thu 21 Oct Ilkeston Charter Fair
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Thu 21 Oct 18:00 22:00
Friday 22 October
- Fri 22 Oct Ilkeston Charter Fair