Country Food & Craft Fayre
The sun was shining down on Crooklands for the Society’s first Country Food and Craft Fayre held 5 and 6 June 2021.
Having cancelled Country Fest which would not have been possible given the national restrictions in place, the small committee were determined to run a Covid-safe event and worked hard to ensure a successful weekend was had by all.
The Fayre attracted over 5,000 visitors, exhibitors and volunteers over the weekend all contributing to a fantastic event which received overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone in attendance, including Cllr Rathbone, the new Mayor of Kendal.
With no marquees, almost 90 exhibitors traded from individual stands which were spread across the Showground providing the ideal opportunity for visitors to socially distance whilst making the most of the open countryside. All the traders welcomed the chance to be able to trade again and were heard telling visitors that they were enjoying having the opportunity to display their goods whilst following the current Covid 19 guidelines.
SmileFactor10’s kites wowed the crowds alongside the Sheep Show which proved to be very popular, with ample room for everyone to watch safely. The variety of music and entertainment throughout the weekend created a wonderful atmosphere with visitors dancing in the great outdoors obviously enjoying themselves. Meanwhile over 100 children took part in the Treasure Trail, with thanks to Kendal NFU for providing goodie bags for all those successfully completing their quest.
The RBST returned to the Showground exhibiting their rare breed sheep and Cumbria’s native Fell Ponies, finally being able to compete for the coveted rosettes, whilst also providing lots of information about farming.
The whole event had a very positive feeling and it was wonderful to see activity again on the Showground. A huge thank you to the stewards for all their help in ensuring such a safe event and to everyone for coming along and making the Country Food and Craft Fayre such a resounding success. We look forward to Country Fest’s return next year 28-29 May 2022.
Laura Patterson