Strawberry Fair
Encyclopedia
Strawberry Fair is a local festival of music, entertainments, arts and crafts. which has been held in Cambridge
, England
, since 1974. The fair is held on Midsummer Common
on the first Saturday in June. It is open to the public and free and totally independent from any council-run events. It was announced on 19 March 2010 that the 2010 Strawberry Fair had been cancelled by the organisers due to 'continuing hostility' from Cambridgeshire Police, who had appealed against Cambridge City Council's decision to grant the Fair a license for 2010.
at midday signalled the official start of the fair. New to the 2011 fair was a Village Green area with traditional community activities such as re-enactment displays, It's A Knockout, fancy dress pageant and a grand finale. Other attractions were the Wigwam Stage, The Green Area, Kids Area, the acoustic and cabaret bar, and Colonel Maybey's Mechanical Menagerie a new 'steam diesel punk' area, in addition to around 300 stalls selling food and goods from all over. Entry to the fair was free. As in recent years (since 2004) the fair held a free 'film night' the previous day featuring short films made by local people. The fair has always had a strong following of alternative lifestyle
s.
, will have a focus on local Cambridgeshire talent with its Best New Local Filmmakers Competitive Programme. In addition, Strawberry Shorts will screen short films made by national and international filmmakers. The film festival also features a team of performance artists who take on traditional cinema roles including usherettes and popcorn sellers.
The fair is run by a committee of local people from Cambridge who elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary each year in September/October to form a Steering Group. Sub-committees also operate in order to discuss specific areas of the fair's operation, namely Programming, Finance and Admin, Policy and Community, and Site. The heads of these sub-committees report back at monthly General Meetings - weekly closer to the fair - which provides accountability and allows for the approval (or otherwise) of proposals put forward by the sub-committees.
Approximately a thousand people volunteer their time to make Strawberry Fair happen, which is seen by the committee as one of its greatest aspects. These volunteers include members of the committee itself, stewards, an environment team, area coordinators, stage managers, backstage staff, stalls co-ordinators, and many people 'behind the scenes' that undertake hours of administration. The fair's security team are the only people who get paid.
The fair operates as a free event thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers who help every year. Income from the stalls that come on-site allows the fair to meet its infrastructure and overhead costs. Benefit gigs are held throughout the year to raise money. The local bands that play these gig
s usually also play on the day of the fair. Strawberry Fair merchandise - including T-shirts, badges, programmes and posters - is also sold from Information Tents.
In 2009, the police charged the event £1,500 towards policing costs. In future years, the bill could reach £70,000. Part of the police operation involves compulsory drug searches with sniffer dogs
for everyone arriving by train at Cambridge station, whether or not they are attending the Fair.
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, since 1974. The fair is held on Midsummer Common
Midsummer Common
Midsummer Common is an area of common land in central Cambridge, UK. The Cambridge Midsummer Fair held on the common is one of the oldest fairs in the UK and at one point was among England's largest...
on the first Saturday in June. It is open to the public and free and totally independent from any council-run events. It was announced on 19 March 2010 that the 2010 Strawberry Fair had been cancelled by the organisers due to 'continuing hostility' from Cambridgeshire Police, who had appealed against Cambridge City Council's decision to grant the Fair a license for 2010.
Events
The 2011 fair on Saturday 4th June 2011 began at 11.00am with a parade through Cambridge city centre. The 2011 parade was part of the UK Centre for Carnival Arts 'Carnival Crossroads' project and featured colourful costumes and samba bands. The arrival of the parade back on Midsummer CommonMidsummer Common
Midsummer Common is an area of common land in central Cambridge, UK. The Cambridge Midsummer Fair held on the common is one of the oldest fairs in the UK and at one point was among England's largest...
at midday signalled the official start of the fair. New to the 2011 fair was a Village Green area with traditional community activities such as re-enactment displays, It's A Knockout, fancy dress pageant and a grand finale. Other attractions were the Wigwam Stage, The Green Area, Kids Area, the acoustic and cabaret bar, and Colonel Maybey's Mechanical Menagerie a new 'steam diesel punk' area, in addition to around 300 stalls selling food and goods from all over. Entry to the fair was free. As in recent years (since 2004) the fair held a free 'film night' the previous day featuring short films made by local people. The fair has always had a strong following of alternative lifestyle
Alternative lifestyle
An alternative lifestyle is a lifestyle generally perceived to be outside the cultural norm. Usually, but not always, it implies an affinity or identification within some matching subculture...
s.
Music
A range of musical genres are represented at the fair across several music stages. Local bands are predominantly selected to play however those from further afield also feature. Young performers are also given their own stage to showcase their talents. Children are catered for by an Ents area that comprises a circus tent, face painters, and many other attractions. An Arts area also local art to be displayed and for visitors to the fair on the day to try their hand at something new.Films
The fair has been screening short films since 2004, but from 2010 a brand new event, the Strawberry Shorts (film festival)Strawberry Shorts (film festival)
Strawberry Shorts is a new film festival which has grown out of the annual film screenings held as part of Strawberry Fair, one of Europe's largest free festivals, which enjoys an estimated 80,000 visitors each year. The film festival, in Cambridge, England, is open to the public and since 2004 it...
, will have a focus on local Cambridgeshire talent with its Best New Local Filmmakers Competitive Programme. In addition, Strawberry Shorts will screen short films made by national and international filmmakers. The film festival also features a team of performance artists who take on traditional cinema roles including usherettes and popcorn sellers.
Organisation
From the constitution, the purpose of the fair is:- "The object of the Fair shall be to hold a Fair, called Strawberry Fair, annually on Midsummer Common, Cambridge, on the first (1st) Saturday in June, for the benefit of the local community, particularly the children. The Fair shall have free entry and entertainments, including music and theatre."
The fair is run by a committee of local people from Cambridge who elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary each year in September/October to form a Steering Group. Sub-committees also operate in order to discuss specific areas of the fair's operation, namely Programming, Finance and Admin, Policy and Community, and Site. The heads of these sub-committees report back at monthly General Meetings - weekly closer to the fair - which provides accountability and allows for the approval (or otherwise) of proposals put forward by the sub-committees.
Approximately a thousand people volunteer their time to make Strawberry Fair happen, which is seen by the committee as one of its greatest aspects. These volunteers include members of the committee itself, stewards, an environment team, area coordinators, stage managers, backstage staff, stalls co-ordinators, and many people 'behind the scenes' that undertake hours of administration. The fair's security team are the only people who get paid.
The fair operates as a free event thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers who help every year. Income from the stalls that come on-site allows the fair to meet its infrastructure and overhead costs. Benefit gigs are held throughout the year to raise money. The local bands that play these gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
s usually also play on the day of the fair. Strawberry Fair merchandise - including T-shirts, badges, programmes and posters - is also sold from Information Tents.
In 2009, the police charged the event £1,500 towards policing costs. In future years, the bill could reach £70,000. Part of the police operation involves compulsory drug searches with sniffer dogs
Detection dog
A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to and works at using its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, or blood. Hunting dogs that search for game and search dogs that search for missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs...
for everyone arriving by train at Cambridge station, whether or not they are attending the Fair.