Abingdon Michaelmas Fair and Runaway Fair 2021

Abingdon Michaelmas Fair will take place on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th October 2021 from 12 noon to 11pm each day.

The Michaelmas Fair is the longest street fair in Europe, running from the Market Place, through the High Street, The Square and the full length of Ock Street. This historic street fair has its origins in the shortage of labour following the Black Death of 1348/9. The Fair was a hiring fair, the equivalent of today’s employment agencies and online job websites.

Nowadays the Fair continues but as a fun fair. It includes some of the latest state-of-the-art fairground attractions which operate alongside more traditional rides, side-shows and refreshment kiosks. The smaller fair, held the following Monday week later and still called The Runaway Fair, provided the opportunity for unhappy employees to change their minds and contracts. Both of these Fairs are organised by a professional funfair operator, Bob Wilson’s Funfairs. Based in Birmingham, they are responsible for the organisation of many funfairs throughout the country. Like many of the showmen who attend Abingdon Fair, they have a long tradition of working in Abingdon which goes back many years.

The Michaelmas Fair starts setting up from on Sunday, after which there are road closures and diversions to enable the traditional street fair to take place. There are also closures and diversions the following week for the Runaway Fair.

To mark the start of the Fairs, the Town Council is organising the traditional Fairground Service of Blessing and Dedication. This will take place at 7pm on Sunday 3rd October 2021 on the Galloping Horses in the Market Place. All are very welcome.