September is World Fair month

September is World Fair month
The Roper family at Rainbow Park. Pictured centre is Colleen who is one of the six female Showmen who founded Future 4 Fairgrounds

Hunstanton's Rainbow Park will be holding special events.

Future 4 Fairgrounds are proud to announce that the first ever World Fun Fair Month will be celebrated this September.

After over a year of lockdowns and restrictions, with covid impacting on everyone there has been a distinct lack of fun in people’s lives. In September people will be encouraged to visit their local fair, wherever that may be, to enjoy a fun day out for the whole family.

As part of World Fun Fair Month, fairgrounds everywhere will be holding special events that everyone will be invited to take part in. World Fun Fair Month is a celebration not just of the industry but also of the people that share the unique cultural heritage as Showmen. A tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. All intrinsically linked with the towns they visit as Showmen and the fairgrounds have been a staple of the community for centuries. With many Charter fairs dating back hundreds of years such as the famous King’s Lynn Mart Fair which has been proudly serving the people of King’s Lynn since 1537.

There are a number of Charter fairs in the UK which take place annually in September such as Bridgewater Fair, Neath Great Fair, Wisbech Statute Fair, Stevenage and Brackley Fair to name a few but also many towns have small fairs in September that are equally important to the towns they attend. So wherever you are there should be an opportunity to visit a funfair local to you. Local communities will be encouraged to get involved in the fun. 

We are inviting local authorities to be proud of the fairgrounds associated with their towns and encourage local schools to celebrate their funfair that visits their village or town annually during the year by finding out about the history and the science of fairgrounds or turning their classroom into a fair for a day in September.

WEB Colleen Roper IMG 0095

Future4fairgrounds are working closely with authors of a fantastic children’s book, “The Show Must Go On” published by Pearson, which we aim to distribute in as many schools as possible in time for the return to school in September and making sure our unique and often misunderstood community is represented positively on every school’s library shelf. This book is extraordinary, portraying a subject that has never been covered before in this way, raising awareness of our community, in a positive way from the ground up.

There will be World Fun Fair Month merchandise and material, such as flags, books, and decorations available which will be given out to schools and local authorities to ensure this is truly a community celebration. The celebrations will also raise awareness of the importance of protecting our fairgrounds in the wake of the devastating pandemic. During the pandemic, many fairgrounds across the world were cancelled and Showmen have endured huge financial losses and uncertainty as a result. However, World Fun Fair Month represents a fantastic opportunity to recover by reminding people of all the joy a fair brings to the town and welcoming families back for a fun day out. We are hopeful World Fun Fair Month will become an annual event. It was first registered by Future 4 Fairgrounds, a grassroots campaign group in the UK dedicated to promoting the travelling fairgrounds community.

Future 4 Fairgrounds was founded by six female Showmen and represents travelling fairgrounds across the UK. Future 4 Fairgrounds said: “We are so excited to announce the first ever World Fun Fair Month this September! By working with Showmen from all across the world, we will be raising awareness of the importance of fairgrounds with communities everywhere. Fairgrounds have been bringing joy to people around the world for centuries, and we cannot wait to celebrate all the fun of the fair with you.”

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