News
Great Peak District Fair - 15th and 16th October 2011
The very first Great Peak District Fair took place in 2002. Set up using funding allocated by The Peak Parks environmental bodies to raise awareness in the local community of the variety, quality and choice available on their door step, to encourage local businesses to network and trade with each other, to widen the marketing opportunities for small, often rural businesses, to celebrate local culture, food arts & crafts and connect the environment of the Peak District with the businesses of the Peak District.
For the last couple of years this event has been co-ordinated by High Peak Borough Council and is now fully self sustaining. It is set in the beautiful Pavilion Building at the Pavilion Gardens’, Buxton’s favourite family venue.
This year we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Great Peak District Fair which has grown in popularity year on year. New this year, we are very pleased to present a fantastic art exhibition by popular Peak District artist Rob Wilson. Throughout the weekend visitors will be able to follow Rob’s progress on a new painting, as he demonstrates some of the techniques used in his distinctive work which incorporates paint, paper, typeface, printed matter and stitching. See exhibitions section in this magazine for more information on the exhibition.
Preparations for this year is now well under way with more than 100 stalls at this premier event offering the very best products made, reared or grown in and around the Peak District.
At this fabulous free event the Pavilion Arts Centre, Octagon Hall and Promenade will be bustling with activity on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 October between 10 am and 5 pm. The Grand Opening will take place on the promenade at 10 am on Saturday morning.
This annual celebration of local food and arts and crafts is a feast for fans of fine foods, fine art and hand crafted unique crafts. By supporting quality local producers and businesses whilst having a fun day out you are helping to support the local economy and environment.
There really will be the butcher, the baker and the Candlestick maker! With farmers and local traders offering an array of wonderful locally produced foods to include award winning meats and pies, fresh locally grown vegetables, pickles and preserves, cheese, bread and delicious cakes to name just a few.
As well as attending many of the Pavilion Gardens’ events, Ashley and Angie Hedges rear Shorthorn Beef and Gloucester Old Spot X pork, Lamb, Chicken and Turkeys to Soil Association Organic Standards. They tell us all their stock is slow grown and grass fed to produce superior tasting meats. Beef hangs for at least 21 days. Their animals are raised to the highest welfare standards and because there is no middle man Smith Hall Organics can offer Organic meat to you at very competitive prices. They also make Dry cure Bacon, Sausages, Beef burgers, Meatballs and many other products including Gluten Free.
The Peak District Artisans’ and the High Peak Artists’ and Craft workers’ Association are groups of locally-based professional artists and craftspeople who will be exhibiting high quality art and craft work which includes everything from paintings and textiles to ceramics. Pauline Townsend, a member of Peak District Products and High Peak Artists’ & Craft Workers’ Association, was invited to join the group way back in 2002 to represent artists & craftspeople. Pauline remembers the first planning meeting ‘Everyone had great enthusiasm for the Fair and we were determined from the outset to make it the biggest and best celebration of everything that was great about the Peak District.’ Pauline says ‘The Great Peak District Fair is an excellent event for local artists in that it allows their work to be seen by a very large audience – up to 14,000 visitors attend each year. The standard is always high as the applicants are vetted and their work must be ethical and produced in the Peak District. Artists and craftspeople from Peak District Artisans (formerly known as Peak District Products) have always supported the Fair in numbers and members really enjoy the fantastic atmosphere the event generates and appreciate the opportunity to reach new audiences with their work. Visitors come from far and wide, returning year on year as the event has built up such a strong reputation for quality and variety’.
The weekend promises to be fun for the whole family; with the Buxton Beer Festival marquee on the promenade you will be able to taste the delights of award winning cask ales from around the region and families can enjoy live music, a climbing wall and lots of other children’s entertainments. .