This is a list of traditional folk customs and scheduled yearly events. In other words, it doesn't change from year to year. See also our expanded list of traditional London events.

Haxey Hood - the Fool's Speech (c) Richard Croft
Haxey Hood - the Fool's Speech
(c) Richard Croft

January

Haxey Hood Game
Haxey, Lincolnshire
January 5 or 6

Straw Bear Festival
Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire
Friday and Saturday
before Plough Monday

Plough Slots Service
Goathland, North Yorkshire
Monday after January 6

Wassailing the Apple Tree
Carhampton, Somerset
January 17

February

Jorvik Viking Festival
York, North Yorkshire
9 days during February half-term

Pancake Day Race
Olney, Buckinghamshire
Shrove Tuesday

Shrovetide Football
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Shrove Tuesday

Shrovetide Skipping
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Shrove Tuesday

Ideal Home Exhibition
Earls Court, London
early March to early April

Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race
Putney to Mortlake, London
Late March or early April

April

Midgely Pace Egg Play
Calder Valley, West Yorkshire
Good Friday

Nutters Dance
Bacup, Lancashire
Easter Sunday

Easter Parade
Battersea Park, London
Easter Monday

Harness Horse Parade
South of England Showground, West Sussex
Easter Monday

Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking
Hallaton, Leicestershire
Easter Monday

Hocktide Festival
Hungerford, Berkshire
Easter Tuesday

Northumbria Gathering
Morpeth, Northumbria
week after Easter

The Grand National
Aintree, Merseyside
2nd Saturday in April

Shakespeare's Birthday

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
April 21

Spring Flower Show
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
late April

Badminton Three Day Event
Badminton, Gloucestershire
late April or early May

May

May Morning Ceremony
Oxford
May 1

Royal May Day Celebration
Knutsford, Cheshire
1st Saturday in May

Flower Parade
Spalding, Lincolnshire
early May

Furry Dance
Helston, Cornwall
May 8

Garland Day
Abbotsbury, Dorset
May 13

Chippenham Folk Festival
Chippenham, Gloucestershire
Second May bank-holiday weekend

Bath Festival of the Arts
Bath
late May to early June

Chelsea Flower Show
Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London
late May to early June

TT Motorcycle Races
Isle of Man
late May to early June

Arbor Tree Day
Aston on Clun, Shropshire
late May

Garland Day
Castleton, Derbyshire
May 29

Dickens Festival
Rochester, Kent
late May or early June

Royal Bath and West Show
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
late May or early June

Woolsack Races
Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Spring Bank Holiday

June

The Derby
Epsom, Surrey
1st Wednesday in June

Loseley Medieval Festival
Loseley Park, nr Guildford, Surrey
first weekend in June

Scuttlebrook Wake
Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Saturday after Spring Bank Holiday

Appleby Horse Fair
Appleby Cumbria
2nd Tuesday and Wednesday in June

Trooping the Colour
Horse Guard Parade, London
2nd Saturday in June

Royal Cornwall Show
Wadebridge, Cornwall
2nd week in June

Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts
Aldeburgh, Suffolk
2nd to 4th weeks in June

Stapleford Steam
Stapleford Park, nr. Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
mid June

Three Counties Agricultural Show
Great Malvern, Hereford and Worcester
mid June

Stour Music Festival
Boughton Aluph, Kent
late June

Royal Ascot Race Meeting
Ascot, Berkshire
late June

Bedfordshire Medieval Fayre
Twinwood Airfield, Clapham, Bedford
last weekend in June
website

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship
Wimbledon, London
late June to early July

July

Tynwald Day
Isle of Man
July 5

Royal Henley Regatta
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
1st week in July

Cheltenham International Festival of Music
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
1st and 3rd weeks in July

British Rose Festival
Chiswell Green, Hertfordshire
early July

Royal International Agricultural Show
Stoneleigh, Warwickshire
early July

Great Yorkshire Agricultural Show
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
2nd week in July

International Musical Eisteddfod
Llangollen, Clwyd
early July

Royal Welsh Show
Builth Wells, Powys
3rd week in July

Black Cherry Fair
Chertsey, Surrey
2nd Saturday in July
website

Royal Tournament
Earl's Court, London
mid July

East Anglian Medieval Fayre
Rougham Airfield, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
third weekend in July
website

Buxton International Arts Festival
Buxton, Derbyshire
mid July to early August

Tweedmouth Salmon Feast
Tweedmouth, Northumberland
Sunday following July 18

Tolpuddle Martyrs Procession
Tolpuddle, Dorset
3rd Sunday in July

Durham Miners Gala
Durham
Saturday in the 2nd week of July

International Air Show
Farnborough, Hampshire
late July

August

Royal National Eisteddfod
throughout Wales
1st week in August

Sidmouth International Festival
Sidmouth, Devon
Week including first Monday of August
Web site

Sussex Medieval Festival
Balcombe, nr Crawley, West Sussex
first weekend in August
website

Cowes Week
Cowes, Isle of Wight
2nd week in August

Priddy Sheep Fair
Priddy, Somerset
mid August

Southport Flower Show
The longest-running and largest independent flower show in the country
Victoria Park
Southport, PR8 2BZ
August 18-21
Website

Grasmere Sports
Grasmere, Cumbria
closest Thursday to August 20

Burning of Bartle
West Wilton, North Yorkshire
closest Saturday to August 24

Plague Sunday Service
Eyam, Derbyshire
last Sunday in August

Navy Days
Plymouth and Portsmouth
August Bank Holiday

Free Folk Festival
Baggeridge Country Park
Gospel End, Nr Dudley
West Midlands
31st August - 2nd September
website

September

Hop Hoodening
Canterbury, Kent
early September

St. Giles Fair
Oxford
1st full week in September

Christchurch Medieval Festival
Town Quays, Christchurch, Dorset
first weekend in September
website

Horn Dance
Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire
1st Monday following 1st Sunday after September 4 (got that?)

Burghley Horse Trials
Burghley House, Stamford
early September

Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool, Lancashire
early September to early November

Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre
Old Warden Park, Bedfordshire
Mid September (3rd weekend after August Bank Holiday)

World Carriage Driving Championships
Windsor, Berkshire
3rd week September

Victorian Festival
Llandidrod Wells, Powys
3rd week in September

Great Autumn Flower Show
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
mid September

Dr Johnson's Birthday
Lichfield, Staffordshire
September 18

Egremont Crab Fair
Egremont, Cumbria
closest Saturday to September 18

Barnstaple Old Fair
Barnstaple, Devon
3rd week in September

Painswick Church Clipping
Painswick, Gloucestershire
3rd week in September

October

Horse of the Year Show
NEC, Birmingham
6-10 October

Nottingham Goose Fair
Nottingham
early October

Tavistock Goose Fair
Tavistock, Devon
October 10

Pack Monday Fair
Sherborne, Dorset
1st Monday following October 10

Border Shepherds Show
Alwinton, Northumberland
2nd week in October

Stratford Mop Fair
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
mid October

RISC OS Show
Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey
mid to late October

November

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Hyde Park Corner, London
1st Sunday in November

Guy Fawkes Night
numerous locations
November 5

Tar Barrel Rolling
Ottery St. Mary, Devon
November 5

Lord Mayor's Show
Guildhall to The Strand, London
2nd Saturday in November

Contemporary Music Festival
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
late November

December

Royal Smithfield Show
London
early December

Festival of Carols and Lessons
King's College Chapel, Cambridge
December 24

Greatham Sword Dance
Greatham, Cleveland
December 26

Allendale Tar Barrel Ceremony
Allendale, Northumberland
December 31

Image of the Haxey Hood is (c) Richard Croft, republished with gratitude under a Creative Commmons license

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