Strawberry Fair
Strawberry Fair is a free, volunteer-run music and arts festival held on Midsummer Common in early June, one of the city's biggest community events. It began in the 1970s and has kept a strong alternative, community spirit ever since.
In practice
The fair fills the common with music stages, local bands, dance, crafts, food and charity stalls, and draws tens of thousands of people in a single day. It is organised by volunteers and funded by donations and stallholders rather than ticket sales. Dates are announced by the organisers each year, and the event has occasionally been cancelled or scaled down for reasons of cost or safety.
Why it matters to newcomers
Strawberry Fair is a "town" event much more than a University one, and it shows a side of Cambridge that visitors rarely see. Go early in the day for a family-friendly atmosphere; it grows livelier in the afternoon.
Related
- Midsummer Common - where it takes place
- Mill Road - the city's other community-minded corner
- Town and gown - the two Cambridges
Source: Strawberry Fair.