Goose Fair is set to return to the Forest Recreation Ground for 10 days again this year following the success of 2022. It had been unclear whether the annual event would again be held over an extended period but Nottingham City Council and the Showmen’s Guild have now confirmed the plans for the event later this year.
It will take place between Friday, September 29, to Sunday, October 8. The Showmen’s Guild members attending the fair will now pay a 3% levy on the site fees, to help the event become more sustainable in future years.
The popular event is usually held for five days, however, last year the fair returned for 10 days after a two year absence due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The fair had more than half a million visitors in 2022, which saw an extra 130,000 visitors in comparison to the five-day event in 2019.
Poll: Do you welcome the return of the Goose Fair?
This included visitor spend and local event suppliers and companies, who provided the visiting showmen with goods ranging from catering supplies and consumables to accommodation.
When coming to the decision it was recognised that a 10-day fair does impact on local residents and some businesses in and around the Forest Recreation Ground. The council has said it will work to seek to mitigate some of the concerns raised during last year’s fair.
The council also added that the environmental impact of the event, both on the city’s carbon neutral ambitions and on Hyson Green, has also been considered. In terms of the length of the fair in future years no decision has been made.
Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “Nottingham’s Goose Fair has been staged annually since at least 1284, and so it’s great to see that it will return in 2023 for a ten-day event.
“This longer period will allow opportunities for more local and regional visitors, increase the city’s economic uplift, and enable new and impressive rides and attractions as well as returning favourites. We look forward to welcoming the Showmen’s Guild back for another fantastic event for all the family to enjoy.”
William Percival, Chair of the Showmen’s Guild (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire branch), said: “We’re pleased to welcome this good news after the success of the ten-day fair last year, which worked well for the showmen, the council and local businesses in Nottingham. We’re grateful to the council in allowing us to bring an extended fair for a second year, and hopefully it will be as successful as it was in 2022. We’d like to thank the council’s events team for the work they’ve done with the Showmen’s Guild to make this possible.”
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