Every other year, Sutton Poyntz organises a Street Fayre, normally on the last Sunday in June, raising money for a variety of charities. We close the centre of the village to traffic, set up stalls (some run by the village or by charities, but many commercial stalls who pay for their pitches), have music and other entertainments, offer a variety of tasty food and drink, set up games, competitions and tombolas. Car parking is free, and the entry charge buys you a "lucky number" programme. People, both locals and holidaymakers, flock to our village in thousands for this day. Everyone has a great time, and we are able to make a really worthwhile donation to our chosen charities.

Next - 2024?  No...

From the Fayre Facebook page, written by Dave Langridge and Paul Caddy:  Victorian Street Fayre

"I write this post with sadness, I and the 2022 Street Fayre committee have held off as long as possible, but unfortunately we have not been able to get enough people to form a full committee, with several key roles still remaining vacant.

Additionally due to changes in policy, access, health and safety concerns by Wessex Water we are no longer able to utilise the Waterworks area for the Fayre, this is obviously a huge blow to the running of the event.

Therefore, the committee have decided to cancel the 2024 event and have asked the residents locally what their view is on the event and to gauge interest to try again in 2025. This could be the same format, a totally new theme and format or a reduced event to cut down the impact on the manpower required to put the event on and impact on the village itself.

Please use the comments facility on the Facebook page or use Messenger within the Sutton Poyntz Victorian Street Fayre Facebook page to message the committee.

It is planned to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Street Fayre in the summer of 2024 in some way, all residents and supporters will be welcome to attend.......more details to follow on this page.

Thank you to all who have supported this event in the past we have thoroughly enjoyed putting the event on."

Street Fayre 2020 2022

The Street Fayre has been held every other year since 1994, even in 2012 when an exceptionally wet period meant that that car parking field was unusable. In 2020, however, the measures need to control coronavirus led the Committee to decide that the Street Fayre could not go ahead. Even if the threat had substantially passed by the end of June, the work needed to organise the event would have been impossible. The 2020 Fayre was initally postponed to June 2021, and then postponed again. Go to the Fayre's Facebook page for more information.

Street Fayre 2018

The 2018 Street Fayre was held on 24th June. Gates opened at 11 a.m., with a full programme of events until 5 p.m. The weather was wonderful and despite a slight clash of dates caused by some minor event in Russia, the event was enjoyed by almost exactly the same number of people as in 2016. A total of almost £16000 was raised, and was distributed to a number of charities, including chiefly the Dorset County Hospital's Cancer Unit appeal.

Street Fayre 2016

The 2016 Street Fayre was held on 26th June. Over £14,000 was presented to a variety of charities. Guy Bridge stepped down after 14 years as Chairman, and was presented with a very well-earned bottle of bubbly. David Langridge has taken over as Chairman.

Street Fayre 2014

2014 Street Fayre - 29 June 2014 Click here for news. The Fayre in 2014 made over £20,000 for a variety of charities, national and local. Let's try to make the 2016 Fayre every bit as successful and enjoyable.

Street Fayre 2012

The Street Fayre in 2012 was held on June 24th. Click here for news, a programme, and photos.
 

Sutton Poyntz Street Fayre 2010

Although we changed the date from the last Sunday in June to July 4^th, the sun shone once again and with a gentle breeze blowing, some 6,000 (six thousand) people flocked to the village of Sutton Poyntz for the 9^th biennial Victorian Street Fayre. By the end of the day a total of nearly £20,000 (twenty thousand) pounds had been taken which would allow some £17,000 (seventeen thousand pounds) to be donated to charities and local activities. In addition to this total there was the Goadsby auction and numerous charity stalls which, as well as adding to the general enjoyment on the day, also raised money for their individual charities.

With perfect weather, visitors were able to spend a wonderful day browsing the many quality stalls and enjoying the live entertainment on the stages set up next to the pond and in the Waterworks.

There was plenty of tasty food and drink on offer from the Springhead Pub and the village BBQ and home-made cakes and snacks in the Waterworks Museum, the Mission Hall and beside the duck pond. The Backwells provided an extra summer touch serving Pimms and strawberries in their garden. 

There was music all day starting with the Mill Street Jazz Band leading a children’s parade around the village pond to start the Fayre with a swing.

There was something for everyone. Children had great fun with the giant bouncy slide, the coconut shy, a treasure hunt and trying their skills at "whack-the-rat" with lots more and many prizes to be won. The "guess how many balloons are in the helicopter" was won by a villager with a figure of 266 and the Hot Air balloon ride was won by another villager.

The dozen village stalls, which were alongside the pond, were busy all day with many great bargains to be had. Stalls with skilled people demonstrating their crafts were fascinating to all and the trade stalls and farmers market had many items to tempt the visitors. An art exhibition in the waterworks museum proved to be very popular and showed off some of the exceptional talent that exists in the area. Even the visiting dogs were kept entertained with a "Posh Pooch and Mutt show" held in the adjacent field.

Goadsby Estate Agents, the event’s main sponsor, held an auction of prizes on the stage and once again raised over £1,000 towards the village total for local charities.

Many of our talented local entertainers were there and the crowds enjoyed continuous entertainment on two stages throughout the day. The Nothe Fort display team demonstrated manning and firing of their gun twice to the consternation of the local rookery. One of the highlights was local musician Ed Hintze performing as Elton John to a large crowd who were clearly delighted to hear him singing many old favourites and finally the Ed Hintze choir provided a grand finale to finish the day beautifully – one might say - on song. 

Guy Bridge the Chair of the Committee summed up the day saying: "There was a wonderful ambience in the village with everyone enjoying themselves, including the children playing in the duck pond! We cannot thank enough all those involved in making this such a successful day."