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All the UK Counties are listed by their 20th-Century Title
Area Index
Please remember to check all dates wth the local Tourist Information office prior to your visit. EMAIL (
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) any additional festivals sites (WORLD WIDE, TRADITIONAL OR REVIVALIST DANCE). This list is copyrighted and permission should be obtained before copying in any form.
Mystical-WWW will give happily give a link to sites around the world with similar lists.
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Rutland
January 6
Haxley, Lincs
Haxey Hood Game Shrove Tuesday
Ashbourne, Derbys
Shrovetide Festival
Shrove Tuesday
Winster, Derbys
Pancake Day Race Easter Monday
Hallaton, Leics
Bottle-kicking and Hare-pie Scramble
Whit Monday
Enderby, Leics
Selling of the Keep of the Wether May 29
Castleton, Derbys
Garland Day
May to end of August
Wye Dale District, Derbys
Well-dressing First Thursday, Friday, Saturday in October
Nottingham, Notts
Goose Fair
November 23
Laxton, Notts
Court Leet December 21
Old Bolingbroke, Lincs
Candle Auction
Back to Top
Cambridge, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk
Every other Sunday
Castle Rising, Norfolk
Bede House Procession February 2
Woodbridge, Suffolk
Bread Dole
Early February
King's Lynn, Norfolk
Roundabout Riding Easter Monday
Thaxted, Essex
Morris Dancing
Whit Sunday (+ other dates)
Walsingham, Norfolk
Pilgramage to the Shrine Whit Monday (4-yearly)
Dunmow, Essex
Dunmow Flitch Trial
Late May of early June
Southwold, Suffolk
Trinity Fair June 22
Cambridge
Coin Throwing at Midsummer Fair
Early July
Tollesbury, Essex
Gooseberry Fair Early September
Southend, Essex
Whitebait Festival
October 20
Colchester, Essex
Oyster Feast 1st Monday in December
Brigthlingsea, Essex
Cinque Port Deputy Election
Back to Top
Cornwall
February 4 (nearest Monday)
St. Ives
Hurling the Silver Ball Shrove Tuesday
St. Columb Major
Hurling the Silver Ball
May 1
Padstow
'Obby 'Os Ceremony (Morris Dancing) May 8 (nearest Saturday)
Helston
The Furry Dance
June 20 (Midsummer eve)
Carn Brae
First Bonfire in Chain Across Cornwall Summer Months
St. Wenn and district
Cornish Wrestling Championships
Monday after August 12
Marhamchurch
Revel in honour of St. Morweena, founder of the village Early September
Various sites
Gorsedd of the Cornish Bards
September 25
Summercourt
Cornwall's largest Fair End of Septemeber
St. Keverne
'Crying the Neck'
Back to Top
Devon, Dorset, Somerset
January 17
Carhampton, Somerset
Wassailing the Apple Trees Shrove Tuesday
Corfe Castle, Dorest
Street Football
May 1
Minehead, Somerset
Hobby Horse Ceremony Spring Bank Holiday Monday
Kingsteignton, Devon
Ram Roasting Ceremony
Wednesday before September 20
Barnstaple, Devon
Traditional Fair September (second Tuesday)
Widecombe, Devon
Pony and Sheep Fair
October (last Thursday)
Hinton St. George, Somerset
Punky Night Celebrations November 5
Ottery St. Mary, Devon
Tar-barrel Rolling
November 5
Shebbear, Devon
Turning the Devil's Stone Christmas-tide
Glastonbury, Somerset
Cutting the Holy Thorn
Christmas Eve
Dunster, Somerset
Burning the Ash Faggot
Back to Top
Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire
Shrove Tuesday (day before Ash Wednesday)
Olney, Bucks
Pancake Day Race Whit Tuesday
St. Ives, Hunts
Dicing for Bibles by local children
First or second Saturday in May
Ickwell Green, Beds
May Day Festival and Crowning of the May Queen June 4
Eton College, Bucks
'Speeches' and Procession of Boats on the Thames
June 29 (Sunday following St. Peter's Day)
Wingrave, Bucks
Hay Strewing in Church Last Monday in September
Dunstable, Beds
Statute Fair
November 11
Fenny Stratford, Bucks
Firing the Fenny Poppers Midnight, first Sunday after November 12
Broughton, Northants
Tin Can Band Parade
Saturday nearest St. Andrew's (Nov 30)
Eton College, Bucks
Wall Game
Back to Top
Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire
Daily (on request)
Winchester, Hants
Wayfarer's Doles at the Hospital of St. Cross March 25
Tichborne, Hants
Tichborne Dole
Second Tuesday after Easter
Hungerford, Berks
Hocktide ceremonies in the memory of John of Gaunt May Day
Oxford, Oxon
May Carol on Magdalen Tower
May Day
Southampton, Hants
May Carol at the Bargate May 29 (Oak Apple Day)
Great Wishford, Wilts
Grovely Procession
Spring Bank Holiday
Bampton, Oxon
Morris Dancing Saturday nearest June 19
Abingdon, Berks
Morris Dancing and Election of Ock Street Mayor
Monday after June 29
Yarnton, Oxon
Meadow Mowing Rights and Mead Balls October 21
Portsmouth, Hants
Trafalgar Day Ceremony
Back to Top
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark
Early January
All Islands
La Grand' Querrue - Plough Festival Shrove Tuesday
Jersey
Rabbit Shooting
Dimanche de Brandons (1st Sunday in Lent)
All Islands
Fire Festival Good Friday
All Islands
Egg Rolling; limpets and gache, a local cake, are eaten
Midsummer Eve
Jersey
Fisherman row round Le Cheval Guillaume rock Last week in July
St. Helier, Jersey
Battle of Flowers
Throughout November
Guernsey
Eisteddfod Festival December 23
Guernsey
La Longue Veille Knitting Festival
December 31
All Islands
Log-burning to celebrate old years' passing
Back to Top
Surrey, Sussex, Kent
Late January
Guildford, Surrey
Dicing for Maids' Dole Early February
Wotton, Surrey
Forty-Shilling Day
Good Friday
Alciston, Surrey
Skipping Easter Monday
Biddenden, Kent
Bread and Cheese Dole
May 11 (Ascension Day and Rogationtide)
Folkestone, Hastings
Blessing Sea and Fisheries Whit Monday
Charing, Kent
Hooden Horse and Morris Men
May
Rye, Sussex
Scrambling for Hot Pennies May
Newington, Kent
Blessing the Cherry Orchards
Early June
Rochester, Kent
Medway Court of Admiralty July 25
Ebernoe, Sussex
Horn Fair
November 5
Lewes, Sussex
Guy Fawkes' Day Celebrations November 5 (nearest Saturday)
Lamberhurst, Kent
Guy Fawkes' Day Celebrations
November 5
Rye, Sussex
Burning the Boat
Back to Top
London
February 3 (St. Blaise's Day)
St. Ethelreda's. Ely place
Blessing of the Throats Mid-February for three days
Royal Albert Hall
English Folk Dance and Song Society Festival
February 20 (around)
St. Botolph's, Bishopgate
Sir John Cass Commemoration Service Thursday nearest March 31
St. Clement Danes, Strand
Oranges and Lemons Children's Service
Good Friday
The Widow Son's Pub, Devons Road
The Widow's Bun Second Saturday in May
Hayes Common
Merrie England May Queens' Festival
May 21
Tower of London
Cermony of the Lilies and the Rosed to commemorate the death of Henry IV Thursday after July 4
Vintners' hall to Church of St. James, Garlick Hill
Vintners' Procession
From Monday in third week of July
The Thames between Blackfriars and Henley
Swan-upping August 1 or near
London Bridge to Chelsea Bridge
Watermen's Race
August 12-14
Mitcham
Mitcham Fair First Sunday in October
St. Mary at Hill, Eastcheap
Costermongers' Harvest Festival
Back to Top
Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire
Shrove Tuesday
Atherstone, Warks
Street Foortball Palm Sunday
Hentland, Herefs
Pax Cakes Distribution
Spring Bank Holiday Monday
Endon, Staffs
Well-Dressing Whit Sunday
St. Briavels, Glos
Bread and Cheese Dole
Whit Monday
Cooper's Hill, Brockworth, Glos
Cheese Rolling Whit Monday
Lichfield, Staffs
Court of Array and Greenhill Bower
May 29
Aston on Clun, Shrops
Arbor Tree Day May 29
Worcester, Worcs
Oak Apple Day at Guildhall
Saturday after June 24
Bromsgrove, Worcs
Court Leet Procession Sunday after September 4
Abbots Bromley, Staffs
Horn Dance
Sunday on or after September 19
Painswick, Glos
Clipping the Church First Monday in October
King's Norton, Warks
Mop Fair
Back to Top
Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire
New Year's Eve
Allendale Town, Nthld
Tar-barrel burning Shrove Tuesday
Scarborough, Yorks
Ringing of the Pancake Bell and Shrovetide Skipping
Shrove Tuesday
Sedgefield and Alnwick, Nthld
Shrovetide Football Third Thursday in March
Market Weighton, Yorks
Kipling Cotes, Derby
Good Friday
Midgley, Yorks
Pace Egg Play Day before Ascension day (six weeks after Easter)
Whitby, Yorks
Planting the Penny Hedge
Whitsun Bank Holiday Week
Holmfirth, Yorks
Folk Festival (dance/music/food/entertainment) July 4
Whalton, Nthld
Bale Fire
Nightly at 21.00hrs
Ripon, Yorks
Wakeman's Horn Blowing Boxing Day
Sheffield, - at Grenoside and Handsworth, Yorks
Sword Dancing
Back to Top
Cheshire, Westmorland, Cumberland, Lancashire, Isle of Man
Good Friday
Liverpool, Lancs
Burning Judas Good Friday, Easter Tuesday and following Saturday
Workington, Cumb
Uppies and Downies
Easter Saturday
Bacup, Lancs
Nutters' Dance Easter Monday
Preston, Lancs
Egg Rolling
May 1
Knutsford, Cheshire
May Day Ceremonies First Thursday in June
Neston, Cheshire
Club Day Procession
Saturday nearest July 2
Ambleside, Westmld
Rushbearing Procession July 5
St. Johns, Isle of Man
Tynwald Ceremony
July, date usually depending on tides
Peel, Isle of Man
Viking Festival Saturday nearest to August 5
Grasmere, Westmld
Rushbearing Procession
Thursday nearest to August 20
Grasmere, Westmld
Annual Sports Third Saturday in September
Egremont, Cumb
Crab Fair
About a fortnight around October 31
Antrobus and Comberbach, Cheshire
Soul-Caking Play
Back to Top
Wales (Cymru)
Old New Year's Day (January 12)
Cwm Gwaun, Pembroke
Traditional Celebrations
Llandysul, Cardigan
Church Festival and pwnc chanting March 1
All Wales
St. David's Day celebrations
Monday before Easter
Anglesey
Easter Egg Clapping First Week of July
Llangollen, Denbigh
International Musical Eisteddfod
July 31
Tenby, Pembroke
St. Margaret's Fair First week of August
Different place each year
Royal National Eisteddfod
Saturday of week including August 19
Cilgerran, Cardigan
Coracle Race Christmas Season
Tanad Valley, Denbigh and Montgomery
Welsh Carol Singing
Pen-coed, Glamorgan
Mari Lywd Mummers
Back to Top
Southern Scotland
January 25
Scotland generally
Burns Night Around February 2
Jedburgh, Roxburgh
Jeddart Ba' Game
March 1
Lanark, Lanark
Whuppity Stoorie Second week in June
Dumfries, Dunfries
Festival of Good Neighbours
Usually third week in June
Peebles, Peebles
Beltane Festival Third week in June
Melrose, Roxburgh
Melrose Festival
Saturday in June depending on tides
Cockenzie, East Lothian
Children's Gala Day Friday and Saturday evenings, third week in June
Innerleithen, Peebles
Cleiking the Devil
Last Friday in July
Langholm, Dumfries
Common Riding Second week in August
Queensferry, West Lothian
The Burry man and Ferry Fair
Third Saturday in August
Irvine, Ayr
Marymass Fair
Back to Top
West Highlands and Hebrides
Last Saturday in May
Drumnadrochit, Inverness
Piping and Dancing First Friday and Saturday in June
Aberfeldy,Perth
Folk Festival
July
Inverness, Inverness
Durness, Sutherland
Highland Games August
Fort William, Inverness
Portree, Isle of Sky, Inner Hebrides
Isle of Arran, Bute
Highland Games
Second Thursday and Friday in September
Inverness, Inverness
Piping Championships September
Oban, Argyll
Highland Games
First week in October
Sites chosen each year
National Gaelic Mod December 31
Comrie, Perth
Flambeaux Procession
Back to Top
Morayshire, Nairnshire, Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire, Angus
Evening of January 11
Burghead, Moray
Burning the Clavie Saturday nearest June 12
Aberdeen
Highland Games
Usually around June 12
Aberdeen
Riding of the Marches Saturday in late June
Dundee, Angus
Highland Games
Usually second Saturday in July
Tomintoul, Banff
Highland Games Sunday in mid-July
Aikey Brae, near Old Deer, Aberdeen
Aikey Fair
Fourth Saturday in August
Strathdon, Aberdeen
Lonach Highland Gathering and Games Usually second week in September
Braemar, Aberdeen
Braemar Highland Gathering and Games
Evening of December 31
Stonehaven, Kincardine
Swinging the Fireballs
Back to Top
Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Caithness
Last Tuesday in January
Lerwick, Mainland, Shetland
Up-Helly-Aa A Wednesday in August
St. Margaret's Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Boys' Ploughing Match
Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Kirkwall, Mainland, Orkney
Ba' Game
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