Nottingham Goose Fair

One of the oldest travelling fairs in Europe

Experience the 700-year-old Nottingham Goose Fair when it rolls into town for five days from 6-10 October.

Carnival rides at the oldest travelling fair Source:Andrew Phillips

Credit: Andrew Phillips

Amongst the array of Roller Coasters, Water Rides, Giant Wheels, Bombers, Dodgems, Twists, Waltzers and Miamis familiar to this annual funfair there will be a number of new attractions that have not visited Nottingham before.

From hair-raising thrill rides to classic merry-go-rounds for a more sedate experience, there really is something for everyone at this historic fair. You’ll also find hundreds of traditional funfair stalls from coconut shys to hoopla. And when you fancy a snack you can enjoy local Nottinghamshire food including mushy peas and mint sauce as well as food from around the world.

The Nottingham Goose Fair is one of the oldest travelling fairs in Europe; legend has it that its name derives from the hundreds of geese which were at one time driven from Lincolnshire and Norfolk to be sold in Nottingham. During its long history the fair has only been cancelled three times, once in the 1600s because of plague, once in 1752 when the calendar was revised and during the World Wars in the twentieth century.