Organising a summer fete, fair or fayre is a lot of work and you’ll want to make sure that it’s all worthwhile.
Along with your fellow organisers, you’ll be thinking hard about the right location, date and which stalls to include. If the event is supporting an organisation or charity, then you’ll also be fundraising and thinking about how people can learn more about the impact your work has.
When you’re coming up with ideas ensure that everyone has a good time by taking note of our suggestions below.
1. Risk assessment
Whatever the event, it’s safety first. A risk assessment is a must-have for any summer event. It will help you identify potential issues and keep everyone safe. Depending on the type of event you’re running this might include food safety, crowd control and fire hazards.
If you know the risks, then you’re able to put plans in place to deal with them. So don’t do this alone but get input from key stakeholders and review the document in the run-up to the fair as activities and their risks may change over time.
2. A plan for bad weather
Summers in the UK are not exactly known for their fantastic weather so you definitely need a backup plan should holding the event outside no longer be an option.
A change of venue from, for example, a playing field to a school hall, will undoubtedly be drier but don’t forget to consider how and when you’ll put this plan into action as well as the impact this could have on some of the activities planned. A coconut shy or crockery smash seems a lot less fun when broken windows become a possibility.
In wet weather, floors can quickly become muddy and slippery so that is one to add to your risk assessment and leads nicely to your third must-have.
3. First aiders
If someone slips over on that wet floor who will be on hand to offer assistance and assess injuries? Your first aiders are a vital part of your team. They will need to have had first aid training and be able to provide appropriate support which could mean anything from providing a sticking plaster to carrying out CPR and saving a life.
Your fairgoers will need to be able to find them so give them a central location and consider hi-vis vest or similar so that it’s clear who is a first aider. Discuss the first aid supplies that will need to be available and what the protocol will be for calling emergency services – and check there is a phone signal at the event location. It could save a life.
4. Time to plan
Organising an event takes much longer than you think. Even if you think you’ve got everything covered problems can arise that will make you wish that you had more time to get everything sorted. A key stall holder might cancel meaning that you will need to find a replacement. Your first raiders might need to update their training. Your backup location in case of poor weather might no longer be available.
Having more than enough time to organise will never be a regret and will definitely be a bonus if you decide to include one of the most popular types of stalls.
5. Have a tombola
Extensive research has suggested that a tombola is among the most popular stall at a summer fair. It appears that people love to see if they can draw a lucky ticket. Make your tombola a hit by asking local businesses to show their support by donating prizes.
Obviously, you need more than one stall for your fair. Crowd pleasers include face painting, bouncy castles, plant stalls, fudge and candy floss sellers, ice cream vans and, of course, a cake stall.
Summer is a peak period for events so put the word out in plenty of time to attract stall holders and plan your own run by your staff or volunteers.
One more important thing for summer fairs
Summer fairs are supposed to be a fun and finding a balance between keeping everyone safe and making it a memorable day can be challenging. We can help with making it a great event that everyone remembers for the right reasons.
