| Where: | Exeter, Devon starting at the Civic Centre with Proclamation at the Guildhall and Craft Festival on Cathedral Green |
| When: | A Thursday in early July |
| Time: | From 11 am with Proclamation at 11.15 and Fair Opening at 11.30 |
An ancient custom dating back hundreds of years takes place each July in the historic city of Exeter in Devon; it’s believed to have begun over 900 years ago, prior even to the Norman Conquest. The Mayor and a host of dignitaries parade through the streets with a giant white glove on a pole to announce the Lammas Day Fair, making their way to officially open the Craft Festival on Cathedral Green. A procession forms at the Civic Centre to begin proceedings, accompanied by musicians and morris dancers, then the Proclamation is read outside the Guildhall where the Glove is hoisted aloft to signal that the fair has begun, before the Mayor opens the Craft Festival. Historically, the raising of the glove for a fair signalled that nobody would be arrested and that the event was under the protection of the Crown. The Craft Festival itself has been a fixture in the city’s calendar for over 50 years, and there should be over 100 arts, crafts and food stalls in marquees, with entertainments held over three days.
Helpful Hints
In 2026 it should be on Thursday July 9th, with the Craft Festival running from 9th-11th.
Lammas is a harvest thanksgiving festival more usually celebrated at the beginning of August but in Exeter it’s always early in July.
Click here for the City Council website: https://exeter.gov.uk
and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExeterCityCouncil
Click here for the Craft Festival website: https://exetercraftfestival.co.uk
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