I can’t actually believe its so long since my last post, times been running away with me, and there’s been so much going on. Tonight I’m getting ready for another full packed weekend, hopefully with a fair bit of relaxing, and catching up with some friends, and hopefully making some new ones as well.
Last weekend was the first weekend in July, which means it was time for the Winchester Hat Fair. Hat Fair is Britain’s longest running celebration of Street Arts, starting in 1974 as a small busker’s festival where performers passed around a hat to collect a donation after their show. The process of passing the hat gave the festival its name - The Hat Fair.
The festival has grown over the years, and now runs from Wednesday through to Sunday. Most visitors go fro the Saturday which tends to be the main performance day. The programme of events now includes innovative community projects, markets, a huge children’s procession, International large-scale work and commissions, and music. Ending with a traditional Hat Fair picnic in the park on the Sunday.
Over the years that Hat Fair has run, it’s developed a dedicated local audience as well as people that attend, just like the performers from all over the country, there is a real sense of pride in the festival by the people of Winchester.
Probably one of the most impressive things about the Hat Fair is that the entire event is free, and contribution to the hat is voluntary. This means it is accessible to those of all means, and ages, and very much works on the basis of Pay what you can.
The Hat Fair has a unique atmosphere of celebration and vibrancy, it brings together the absolute cream of street performers, music and street entertainment, and if the weather is good, like it was on Saturday, an absolutely amazing and relaxing day out.
The event continues well into the evening, with Winchesters cathedral pathways and cloisters lit with hundreds of tea lights in paper bags, creating a peaceful and eerie glow, the events moving back to the main street; the Broadway, with an evening of large scale street theatre and music, around a stage that fills the main street.
Its very hard to explain Hat Fair to anyone that’s not gone before.. There’s no Hats and its not a fair.. It covers just about every interest, genre and aspect of entertainment, and the advise is just try it…
The Hat Fair runs every first week in July and is completely, utterly and absolutely free.. and you can if you want, buy the odd hat there..
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