Saturday Spotlight Talk: A history of Hereford’s May Fair
Schedule
Sat May 30 2026 at 02:30 pm to 03:45 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Museum Resource & Learning Centre, HR4 0AS Hereford, United Kingdom | Hereford, EN
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“All that Fayre commonly called the Nine Dayes Fayre to be kept yearly from tyme to tyme within the month of May”Join Cathedral Archivist Elizabeth Semper O’Keefe for an illustrated journey through the long and lively history of Hereford’s May Fair — one of the city’s oldest traditions.
Held each year on the Tuesday after the first Monday in May and the two days following, the fair has its roots in a 1121 charter for St Ethelbert’s Fair, granted to raise funds for Hereford Cathedral. Over the centuries, the fair’s rights moved from the Bishop of Hereford to the city council, and many colourful customs have endured — including the traditional weighing of the wheat at the fair’s opening.
This talk explores how this ancient fair evolved from a medieval market to the vibrant street celebration it is today, blending legal history with social and civic stories that have shaped Hereford’s cultural life.
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Where is it happening?
Museum Resource & Learning Centre, HR4 0AS Hereford, United Kingdom, 58 Friars Street, Hereford, HR4 0AS, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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