Tickets for Bakewell Country Festival 2023 are now on sale. The Festival will take place on Sunday 16th July on Bakewell Showground from 9am until 5pm and ages 15 and under go free.
Returning for its second year, the event will be packed with family-friendly activities and plenty of animals. Mayfield Animal Park will be back with their popular alpaca feeding sessions and Lane End Farm Trust will be offering small animal handling, as well as a chance to meet their 'unicorns'! Numerous breeds of sheep and cows will also be in attendance with their fabulous farmers to offer educational meet and greet opportunities to visitors.
Our children's zone is expanding to a three-hat tipi tent. Head here to participate in craft workshops, professional face painting and music sessions, plus more to be announced. Tokens are required for craft activities and fairground rides, available to purchase at dedicated token stations on the day.
There will also be entertainment in the form of archery classes, bushcraft skills workshops and the return of our festival stage, which will once again be home to the brilliant Old Time Rags and The Jelly Roll Jazz Band. Head to one of our local food or drink vendors first, pull up a hay bale and enjoy the entertainment!
This year's Culinary Theatre will be home to a raft of renowned local chefs, Lee Smith of Bakewell's Lovage, Greg Robinson of The Maynard at Grindleford, Mark Aisthorpe of The Bull's Head at Holymoorside and Chris Mapp of the Tickled Trout at Barlow, with more to be announced. We are delighted that this year's Culinary Theatre will be run in association with Pure Peak magazine with a programme curated by their esteemed food writer Lesley Draper.
Centre Ring will feature a packed equestrian programme including heavy horse competitions, with a new young handler's class, as well as fast-paced British Scurry and Trials Driving competitions and displays by the local Pony Club.
We will also have a bustling rural crafts hub featuring farriery demonstrations, besom making, and chainsaw carving, with more to be announced, and our vintage tractor and engine exhibition will also make a return.
Bakewell Dog Show will also be back to run across both the Saturday and Sunday. Further announcements about classes and entries will be available in due course.
We still have plenty more to announce and we hope to see you there!