The historic Banbury Michaelmas fair is set to trial a four day event, following a one year licencing agreement with Cherwell District Council.
Published: Friday, 29th September 2023
The annual attraction will run from Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 October thanks to a one year trial being agreed with the council following a request from Bob Wilsons funfair.
Councillor Andrew McHugh, Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities, said: “The Michaelmas fair has been running in the Banbury town centre for over 500 years and has proven to be a popular part of the town’s history.
“The town centre is the heart of the community for many and we are always looking at new ways to bring in more visitors and residents to events. We recognised that opening the fair on a Saturday would allow more families to enjoy the fair during the day time and bring more visitors into the town centre and following a consultation with Banbury Town Council, Castle Quay, Thames Valley Police and Banbury BID it was decided to trial a Saturday Michaelmas fair day for this year’s event.”
Banbury Market will still be running on Saturday 21 October with traders and stalls being set up on Broad Street between the hours of 9am and 4pm.
After the conclusion of the fair a review will be held with key partners and stakeholders to evaluate the response and impact adding an extra day to the fair has had.