Join Lumo Workshop at Spilsby’s Super Saturday to make your horse decorations for the Mane Event
SPILSBY TOWN CENTRE 10am–3pm
Horse Fair Community Window Decorating Workshop
Plus free horsey craft/story/pun/poem session
HORNCASTLE LIBRARY 10am–12pm
WEDnesday 5 AUGUST
Horse themed watercolour event with Nikki Bennett Book via email horncastle.library@gll.org 10am–12pm
Thursday 6 & Friday 7 August
Lumo Workshop drop-in creative sessions for all ages 10am–12.30pm & 1.30–4pm
Thursday 6 August
Horncastle Art Group – free outdoor sketching, bring your own art materials
MEET AT ST MARY’S CHURCH from 10am
Hangman’s Horncastle Tour JOSEPH BANKS CENTRE 1pm
Lincolnshire Folk Tales with Rory Waterman
An evening of Lincolnshire’s amazing (and bawdy!) folk tales PEDAL & PAWS 7pm
FRIDAY 7 AUGUST
Pedal & Paws Quiz, with an equine-themed round!
PEDAL & PAWS 7-10pm
SATURDAY 8 AUGUST
Display of the work created on Sat 1 August
HORNCASTLE LIBRARY 9am–1pm
QEGS Park Run with a horsey theme and performers from Rhubarb Theatre
QEGS 9–10am
Bikers & Riders Breakfast
METHODIST CHURCH HALL QUEEN STREET 9am–12.30pm
Every thurs, fri & sat to end sept
See the William Marwood exhibition and learn about a cobbler from Horncastle who became a famous Victorian executioner! JOSEPH BANKS CENTRE 10am–4pm
Horncastle Horse Fair is produced by Sessions Arts in partnership with the Horncastle History & Heritage Society, the East Lindsey Place Team and a committee of amazing individuals from the local community. This project is supported by: a National Lottery Arts Council Project Grant; an East Lindsey Investment Fund Grant and the Vital & Viable programme; SO Festival; and Horncastle Town Council. With thanks to St Mary’s Church, Horncastle Community Centre and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Find Horncastle Horse Fair on Facebook & Instagram @horncastlehorsefair
HORSE FAIR
SAT 8 AUGUST 2026
PLUS FRINGE
For hundreds of years, ‘Horncastle for Horses’ was a well-known phrase, and in the 18th and 19th centuries the Horncastle Horse Fair became one of the biggest in Europe. This joyous community event honours that heritage, but also creates new traditions and is now back for its fourth celebration! history
1–7 AUGUST CREATING
NEW TRADITIONS CELEBRATING OUR HERITAGE
FORAFREEARTS& COMMUNITYEVERYONE!EVENT
HORNCASTLE COMMUNITY
CENTRE & GARDEN BANOVALLUM HOUSE & WALLED GARDEN ST MARY’S CHURCH
10–11am
11.30am–12pm
12.30–1.30pm
1.30–2pm 2–2.45pm
3–3.30pm 3.30–4pm
Community Performances
Drop Me If You Dare | Joli Vyann
Folk Dance Remixed
Community Performances
Folk Dance Remixed
Drop Me If You Dare | Joli Vyann Horse Fair Procession
Horse Fair Mosaic
This year you can get really involved and be ‘part of the art’ by uploading photos or pictures via this QR code, which will then be included in an amazing new mosaic artwork by artist Allan Levy that will be inspired by the Horse Fair and St Mary’s Church. The artwork will be created during the Mane Event inside the church and we are looking for any images that say something to you about ‘Horncastle’ or ‘Horses’ or ‘the Fair’. You can upload your images anytime or do it on the day itself!
11am, meet at the porch (45mins) LIVE MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE DAY
THE MANE EVENT
Meet the Horses
Riverside Flowers
The Butterfly House | Handmade Theatre
Comedy Gymkhana | Rhubarb Theatre
The Butterfly House | Handmade Theatre
Comedy Gymkhana | Rhubarb Theatre
SATURDAY 8 AUGUST 10AM–4PM
AND DON’T MISS...
VINTAGE BICYCLES AT THE MANOR HOUSE
between two people. An amazing and exciting mix of dance and acrobatics - suitable for all ages FOLK DANCE REMIXED
These fabulous performers were a big hit last year and return this time with live musicians… get involved and feel the joy!
COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES
There’ll be live music from a range of local musicians including The Outdoor Cats, Late to the Party, Oskar McIntosh, Nancy Byrne School of Dance and Dance 10! REFRESHMENTS
By Horncastle WI raising funds for St Lawrence’s School LOCAL CRAFT & CHARITY STALLS
PEGASUS IN THE CHURCHYARD HARRIE THE PUPPET HORSE TROTTING AROUND Teenage Market IN THE MARKETPLACE AND BANOVALLUM HOUSE Earth Bound Misfits
WALKABOUT ACT SIR NOT-A-LOT AND BUM WART, HIS TRUSTY
SQUIRE! Amy Wilson author of Julia
Peculiar WILL BE RUNNING STORY-TELLING SESSIONS
EVERY HOUR 11AM-3PM WITH A CROCHETED DAISY CHAIN
CHALLENGE AND A TREASURE TRAIL RiTchie’s
Vintage Ice Cream Bike SILLY SCIENCE
EXPERIMENTS WITH Mr Holly’s
NeWTON-O-MATIC DROP-IN MAKING SESSIONS & FESTIVAL DECORATIONS WITH Lumo Workshop VR EXPERIENCES WITH MBD
Gather round and be enchanted by a stunning collection of handcrafted puppets. With original live music, sustainable design and a clever technological twist, The Butterfly House is a joyous celebration of nature and transformation - perfect for children & families Rhubarb Theatre’s amazing comedy gymkhana
Returning to the Horse Fair to delight and entertain audiences with their silly and utterley charming Gymkhana - come and have a go Real HORSES!
As well as perennial favourite Bomber the shire horse this year we will also be joined by two horses from St Lawrence’s School as well as two therapy ponies from Rainbow Dreaming
