Stokesley Fair

Stokesley Town Council

The origins of Stokesley’s Traditional Fair can be traced back to the granting of royal charter by Henry III to John FitzRobert in the year 1223-4. The date of the inception of the fair of 1224 is confirmed by the entry in the Online Gazetteer of Market Fairs in England and Wales to 1516.

Stokesley Fair is held in September each year. Its timing is now determined by the date of Stokesley Agricultural Show. The show was founded in 1859 at a meeting held at The Golden Lion (now Chapters Hotel) High Street, Stokesley and first held on the third Thursday of September in the same year. This remained its traditional timing through to 1967. In 1968 the decision was taken to move the show to a Saturday and it is now held on the Saturday after the third Thursday in September. Stokesley Agricultural Society who organise the show claim that it is the North's largest one day agricultural show.

Stokesley Fair is held from the Wednesday preceding Stokesley Show to the day of the show. It is open from early evening on Wednesday to Friday inclusive and all day on the Saturday.

The fair takes over most of the open space in the town centre. It is held on the Stokesley Manorial Lands and stretches from West Green and covers the cobbles on both sides of the High Street before extending to fully occupy The Plain and then College Square at its eastern extremity. 

The fair pays rent to Manorial Lands Trust. The income gained from the fair helps to support the Town Hall Trust and to maintain the Manorial Lands and the structures built upon them as well as assisting in the promotion of other charitable events for the benefit of the residents of Stokesley.

Stokesley Fair is scheduled to run from 20 September to 23 September 2023.  Stokesley Agricultural Show will take place on Saturday 23 September 2023.