Best Wellington’s annual Midsummer Fayre yet

Wellington’s annual Midsummer Fayre returned on Saturday and was hailed as ‘one of the best yet’.

The historic event, inspired the ancient St Barnabas Day fairs of the 13th Century and the jubilee pageants of the 18th Century, saw stalls, performers and costumed characters fill the town. 

“We saw some bumper crowds who were given a taste of the town’s history and people have been telling us it’s one of the best yet,” said Rob Francis, lead organiser at Wellington H2A, who started the event 18 years ago.

“The day was probably our biggest in terms of the sheer number of those taking part. 

“We had over 250 performers across 17 acts, including choirs, bands, theatre groups, dance troupes and street entertainers. It was a real showcase of local talent.” 

The centrepiece of the fayre was the costumed procession – first recorded in 1773 – which saw historic kings and queens joined by characters including Harlequin the Clown and Cupid. 

Mayor of Wellington, Reg Snell, said: “It was wonderful to see Wellington so full of people of all ages enjoying the day. The organisers and their helpers can be very proud of themselves.”

The event was made possible by sponsorship from Wellington Town Council, Paveaways Construction, Rowton Brewery and Anthony’s of Wellington – along with help from around 50 volunteers from All Saints Church and Wellington Rotary Club. 

Next year’s event will take place on Saturday 13th June