The info below was for 2021 - hopefully there will be no need of it this year! (The well-being and safety of all is of the utmost importance. We encourage all staff, volunteers, stall holders and visitors to take a lateral flow test before attending the fair. We also request that face masks are used when inside the buildings. There will be several hand sanitiser stations located at key points around the Fair and both venues will be ventilated, so wrap up warmly.)

 

                                   


            NEWS


The 2024 Christmas Fair will be held on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th November.

The fair is open on Friday from 5 - 8pm and on Saturday from 10am - 7pm.


See more details below.


 

   

 


 

 

The fabulous Clare Christmas Fair will take place during the last weekend of November in St Peter and St Paul's Church and also in the Town Hall, both in the heart of Clare.
With around 70 exhibitors selling festive food, drinks and a great selection of gifts this is the Christmas event in Clare and not to be missed!
In fact, this weekend is going to be a grand start to the holiday season and an even more fantastic shopping opportunity - a chance to get all your gifts, cards and festive fare in Clare, making things easier and also fun at this busy time of the year.
Speaking of fun, once again there will be lots of things for everyone to do and see: lots of music and carols and amazing entertainment both outside and inside the venues. Father Christmas will be joining us on Saturday when you will be able to find him on Market Hill. There will be Carols from Treble C choir in the Church on Friday and Long Melford Silver Band and the Church Raffle Draw on Saturday. The Artful Dabber will be located with Father Christmas and his elves on Saturday, having lots of fun painting faces. Further details will be published both here and on Facebook in the lead-up to the fair.
Entry is free, and the entertainment is also free on both days. Refreshments will be available in both venues, with warming mulled wine and mince pies in the church too!
More information to follow, so do watch out for future updates nearer the time. The programme is shown below.
Find the church at CO10 8NY and the Town Hall just across Market Hill at CO10 8NN.

**PLUS, on Saturday evening, the Christmas Lights Switch-On will take place on Market Hill, a fitting finale. Starting at around 4.00pm or so, there will be music, family fun, children's entertainment, the children's lantern-lit parade, carols, mulled wine, hot dogs, crepes and samosas etc - and the grand Switch-On at 6pm!


*N.B.* There will be limited free extra parking available on the Saturday from 8.30am - 8pm at Stour Valley Community School, which is located on Cavendish Road CO10 8PJ. The gates will be locked at 8pm sharp, so please ensure your car is removed before then!


 
  The 2024 Exhibitor List will be found on the 'Our Exhibitors' page; take a look at our Gallery page and scroll down to see some of the lovely things that will be offered for sale at the fair!
                                                             2024 PROGRAMME
                                                                                          
                                                                                                 FRIDAY

5.00pm - Fair opens announced by Rev. Mark Woodrow and the Town Crier at c 5.00pm in the Church.
**Complimentary mulled wine.
**Refreshments available in both venues.
6.00pm - Carols by Treble C Choir in the Church.
6.30 - 7.30pm - Long Melford Silver Band will play in the Church.
8.00pm - the fair closes.




                                                                                               SATURDAY

10.00am - The fair opens!
**Food etc available in the Church and in the Town Hall at the downstairs Café .
**Serena Grant will sing in the Church at c4.00pm
**Father Christmas will be at his Grotto on Market Hill with his elves - unless he has nipped out for a mince pie....and The Artful Dabber will be face painting nearby....
5.00pm - The Church Raffle will be drawn.
3.30pm onwards - Beau Dance Troupe will perform on Market Hill and Hells Bells Morris Dancers will parade and dance on Market Hill, in the Church and in the Town Hall at various times and there will be live music, stunt bike street entertainment, carols, children's roundabout, mulled wine, hot dogs, crepes, Mena's  samosas etc, and the Children's Parade. 
**The Christmas Lights Switch-On takes place at 6pm.** The Lights will be switched on by local guitar hero Robbie Gladwell - and Mark Pendlington, the High Sheriff of Suffolk, will count him down.
7.00pm - The fair closes.
Relax in our cafes
A selection of light refreshments will be available from both the Church and Town Hall cafes. In the Church there will be complimentary mulled wine and, to add to the festive spirit,
 mince pies.

The magic of Christmas

A Brief History of the Fair

In January 2016, I was asked by the parish church of St Peter and St Paul if the Clare Community Association would take over the organisation of the Christmas Fair. As a member of the CCA at the time and as an experienced fair organiser I was pleased to take this on, and worked with Margaret Godwin on the 2016 event, which was a great success. I left the CCA in 2017 and continued to run the fair myself with help from Bill Perceval-Maxwell, the then churchwarden, and with further help during the set-up and on the day from Mary Denton, Paul Bishop, the CCA and others, last year including Clare in Bloom. I have continued to organise the fair, introducing various attractions to enhance the event, and am delighted to say that it has gone from strength to strength and is now a major event in this part of the world, bringing both exhibitors and visitors into Clare from the surrounding area. Combined now with the Christmas Lights Switch-On, with which I am also involved, the Clare Christmas Festival weekend is becoming a great celebration of the holiday season. Volunteers are always needed and much appreciated, so if you'd like to help in any way, please get in touch via the Contact page. Thank you! Christina Glover.

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