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The Nottingham Goose Fair is Europe’s largest travelling fun fair reaching over 20 acres and encompassing over 250 fairground rides, including 100 for small children.
Run by events company the Mellors Group in collaboration with Nottingham City Council, the festival attracts visitors from across the region, wider UK and even the world. Some 400,000 visitors are expected this year. In addition to the rides food will come in many varieties from Punjabi to Caribbean.
It is the biggest of three ‘goose’ fairs in the UK with Goosey Fair in Tavistock and Michaelmas Goose Fayre in Colyford, both in Devon.
History of the Nottingham Goose Fair
The old Nottingham Goose Fair has run for over 700 years and is one of the oldest and most historic fun fairs in the world, with a different offering every year.
Originally it was called St Mathew’s fair, dating back to Saxon times, . In 1164, Henry II granted a charter to Lenton Priory to run a fair during Martinmas. The Nottingham Goose Fair itself has run since 1284.
Although it is now largely a fun fair, originally it was an agricultural fair, deriving its name from the large number of geese driven to market from surrounding countryside. It became a fun fair somewhere at the start of the 19th century.
To discover more about the fair, click here.
Nottingham Goose Fair Dates
When is the Nottingham Goose Fair? This year’s fair will run over 10 days between Sunday 29 September and Sunday 8 October, 2023. Opening times are:
29 September 4pm to 11:30pm; 30 September 12 to 11pm; 1 October 12 to 9pm; 2-4 October 4pm to 10:30pm; 5 October 4pm to 11pm; 6 October 4pm to 11:30pm; 7 October 12 to 10:30pm; and 8 October 12 to 9pm.
Where Is It?
It is hosted annually on the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham.
How To Get There
You can either take the Tram or a local bus by NCT or Trentbarton buses.
Main image: Credit Tracey Whitefoot and Nottingham City Council.
