10 Fun Facts About Hull Fair

Hull Fair holds which European record?

Unlike small local fairs, it pulls rides and travelling showmen from all over the country for a single week each October.

Hull Fair received its first Royal Charter in which year?

Hull Fair received its first Royal Charter in 1279, although it is believed to have operated informally prior to this date.

Which month does Hull Fair typically open each year?

The fair always encompasses 11 October, opening at 5 pm on a Friday and closing at 11 pm on the Saturday eight days later.

Who traditionally opens the fair on its opening evening, normally at 5 pm?

The civic opening is one of the city's oldest traditions; the fair has run under Royal Charter since 1279.

By tradition, what did an enraged Hull mob cry when the 1750s calendar change threatened the fair?

The mob got its way: from then on 11 October, or the Friday nearest to it, became the fair's official date.

In which year was the permanent Walton Street fair ground first laid out?

The permanent ground was laid out in 1888 at six acres, later growing to 12 acres in 1908 and 14 acres in 1932; it sits beside the MKM Stadium.

Which of these is a traditional sweet treat commonly associated with Hull Fair?

The fair's brandy snaps have traditionally come from Wright and Co. in Brighouse, and the name has nothing to do with brandy: it derives from 'branded', meaning burnt.

The fair runs from a Friday evening to the next week's Saturday, closed on Sunday. On how many days is it open?

Nine calendar days minus the traditional Sunday closure leaves eight days of trading, opening at 5 pm on the first Friday.

During WWII the fairground served as a vehicle park, tank training ground and mooring point for what?

The fair was also skipped from 1915 to 1918 and again in 2020 for the pandemic, and it very nearly did not go ahead in 1938 during the Munich Crisis.

What was the original primary function of Hull Fair when it first began centuries ago?

In 1440 the town laid down where each trade stood: horses in the Ropery, cattle in Mytongate, sheep in Salthouse Lane, and merchants and craftsmen in the market-place.