Once a year on a Thursday in October Broad Street in Alresford is transformed into a giant fun fair.

The tradition of a fair in the town centre dates back to the sheep fairs of the middle ages, the greatest of which was held around Michaelmas Day.

The Michaelmas Fair was held on the first Thursday after Michaelmas Day, originally 11th October. Although Michaelmas was moved to 29th September when Britain went from the Julien calendar to the Gregorian one, the Alresford fair continues to this day to be held on the first Thursday after the 11th. If the 11th falls on a Thursday as it does this year then the fair is held on that day!

The fair has developed over the centuries to include stalls and a few rides, right through to today when the centre of the town comes to life with the sounds and excitement of the funfair run by John Wall & Son.

A rumble of lorries announces its arrival early in the morning. All the big mechanical rides are unloaded and assembled, followed by the smaller stallholders to fill the gaps. Everything is ready by 3pm when the fair is open for business. The music, the lights, the rides, the candyfloss and toffee apple stalls are only there for one day. After the fair closes at 11pm the fair begins to dismantle and by the time daylight returns on the Friday morning, it is as if the fair had never been!

If you have never been to experience the excitement take yourself along for some fun this Thursday!