The Uppingham Lent Fair returns this week, 13 - 18 March 2023.

The annual Lent Fair in Uppingham is going ahead this week, with rides, local sellers and food stalls open in the market town throughout the week.

The Annual Lent Fair has been organised and run by Holland Amusements for over 100 years and normally takes place in February or March each year.

The event is protected by Royal Charter, meaning that a monarch has granted an organisation with independence, asserting its permanence.

This is why the fair has been able to go ahead for so many years, run by the same organisation, with some involved stalls and sellers attending regularly since the 1960s.

While many ask why the fair goes ahead when the weather is unreliable, the purpose of the fair is to celebrate the six week period leading up to Easter in which people often denounce indulgences, called Lent.

The fair usually takes place in late February, or as early as Shrove Tuesday, to mark the celebrations of Lent. It is often called a mid-Lent festival for this reason.

Lent is not exclusively observed by Christian worshippers for prayer, with many non-church goers also taking part in the 40 day test of will in which they give up some of their favourite things such as unhealthy foods and fizzy drinks, luxury items, and most commonly, chocolate.

In more recent years, the fair has simply been advertised as Uppingham Fair to encourage visitors and ensure that guests know it is an event for the whole community.

Uppingham Town Council encourage visitors not only to attend the fair, but to explore the local area and the cafes and shops on offer in their beautiful market town too.

The fair will be open from 6pm until 9:30pm, with an early start time of 4pm on Wednesday and 2pm on Saturday.

Feel free to send us your photos of the fair and we will be sure to share them on our social media.

Residents can also head over to Stamford Mid-Lent Fair, which begins on 20 March.

Alternatively, keep up with other events taking place in the local area on our What's on page or by following us on Facebook where you can see our weekly round-up of fantastic local events.