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Tavistock Goose Fair
October 12, 2022 @ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
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Following our two year hiatus due to the COVID19 pandemic, the Town Council are pleased to confirm Tavistock Goose Fair will return this year on Wednesday 12th October.
We are excited to be able to once again organise this longstanding annual event with some changes planned for 2022, and look forward to welcoming back visitors and exhibitors alike.
The annual Goose Fair in Tavistock dates back to the early 12th Century, when a Michaelmas Fair held every September 29th provided the opportunity for business and animal trading, and was a social event for wives and daughters.
The name Goose Fair probably came about as farmers brought their geese ready for fattening for Christmas, and the only other Goose Fair (in Nottingham) has a similar connection. When the new calendar was introduced in 1752 the ‘loss’ of 11 days changed the date of the Michaelmas Fair to October 10th, and now the Fair is held on the second Wednesday in October each year.
Market traders come from all over the country to sell their wares and provide entertainment. Stalls, sideshows and fair ground rides are set up in the centre of the Town, and some 200 spaces are let by the Town Council for traders and community groups. A further 70 spaces in Bedford Car Park are let to members of the Showman’s Guild by West Devon Borough Council with the car park being shut for the whole Goose Fair week