St Giles' Fair (also St Giles Fair) is an annual fair held in St Giles', a wide thoroughfare in central north Oxford, England. It is unusual for an English fair, being held in a major street of a city and blocking traffic for its two-day duration in September each year. The fair is organised by the Oxford City Council with the London and Home Counties section of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.
The street is closed to traffic for two days each September for this traditional fair. Formerly, the University Parks were also closed at the same time to demonstrate that they are owned by the University of Oxford rather than formally being public. The fair also extends into Magdalen Street to the south and Banbury Road and Woodstock Road to the north.
Since the 19th century, St Giles' Fair has been held on the Monday and Tuesday following the first Sunday after St Giles' Day (1 September). This means that when 1 September is a Saturday, the fair is held at the earliest possible time (3 & 4 September); but when 1 September is a Sunday, the fair is held at the latest possible time (9 & 10 September).
In 2011, the Fair was held on 5 and 6 September.
Read more about St Giles' Fair: History
Famous quotes containing the word fair:
“A good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow, but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon—or rather the sun and not the moon, for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)