Ilkeston Charter Fair

An historic Derbyshire fair stretching back more than 700 years is set to be extended to become a five-day event, according to information from the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Ilkeston Charter Fair, organised by the Showmen’s Guild, is one of the country’s oldest street fairs, with its origins dating back to the Royal Charter of 1252 and the present-day format since 1888.

Erewash Borough Council, which has partnered with the guild to run the event since 1974, is now set to extend the four-day festivities – which take place each October – to a five-day affair.

The event currently runs from Wednesday to Saturday but this would be extended to Sunday (1pm until 8pm) from the upcoming 2025 fair.

Lights and music from the rides would be switched off between 1pm and 2.30pm “to make the fair more inclusive and reduce the noise pollution that the fair produces for a short period on the Sunday”.

An order from the Home Secretary would be required to lawfully extend the duration of the Charter Fair. 

The Secretary of State can only make such an order if they have received representation that clearly shows that the change should be made “for the convenience and advantage of the public.”

Of the 917 responses to a council consultation, 56 per cent supported the extension while 40 per cent were opposed and four per cent were undecided.

A council report on the issue says running the event for an extra day would likely cost the authority an extra £10,000 along with additional staffing fees – with those staffing costs to be covered by the Showmen’s Guild.

It details: “The extension of Ilkeston Charter Fair will deliver the corporate strategy aims to rejuvenate the local economy through bringing additional footfall into the town centre of Ilkeston during the week of the fair and supporting our communities to improve their quality of life by offering greater access to an extended Charter Fair. 

“The Charter Fair has been taking place in Ilkeston for over 750 years and delivers a rich cultural tradition during October of entertainment to the people of Erewash. 

“Any extension to the Charter Fair is expected to bring additional economic and cultural value to the borough.”

In 2019 the council considered extending the fair from four to five days but authority leadership chose to retain the current format.