Produce Market & Stall Details
Attracting up to 20,000 visitors, Downton Cuckoo Fair is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit, free-to-enter event, which helps local organisations, groups and charities raise much-needed funds. Pitches are in high demand and usually sell out, so we give priority to returning stallholders before opening up to applications from our waiting list of new stallholders. We try to ensure there is a diverse mix of stalls to attract visitors and favour those who are locally based, or can bring something new or distinctive to the fair.
Our stallholders are invaluable in helping to cover the costs of hosting a popular, safe and entertaining event. We set our prices in the autumn before the Fair is held, based on our projected costs and taking into account charges by comparable fairs.
| Type | Size | Fees | Notes – see Site Layout for Locations |
| Mini | 2.5m by 2.5m | £90 | Located in green, blue and purple zones and will fit a non-standard gazebo of up to 2.5m (previously known as “Traditional”). |
| Maxi Outside | 3m by 3m | £120 | Located in orange, green, yellow and purple zones and will fit a gazebo up to 3m. |
| 1.5 Maxi | 3m by 4.5m | £190 | Limited spaces available, new for 2026. |
| Double Maxi | 3m by 6m | £240 | |
| Marquee | 3m wide by 2.5m deep | £190 | Located in Red and Purple Zones. |
| Double Marquee | 6m wide by 2.5m deep | £380 | |
| Memorial Gardens | 3m by 3m | POA | Other sizes by prior agreement. |
| Commercial operators including catering and alcohol | As agreed | POA | Limited spaces available. Standard pricing is £250 plus the pitch fee. |
| Additional Items | |||
| Trestle tables – only for the Purple and Red zones | £10 each | Please specify numbers on booking form. Stall holders are responsible for collection and especially stacking the tables by the roadside at the end of the fair |
|
| Electricity | 5A | £15 | Limited supply – Purple Zone Marquee only. |
The Zones run (from The Bull Hotel (A338) end as follows: Orange | Green | Blue | Yellow | Red | White (& Produce) | Purple. Only Red and Purple zones have marquees. Blue zone is narrow hence few 3m x 3m gazebos are permitted.
Booking Timetable
Last years stallholders receive priority booking. As a guide our schedule, reflecting that our booking year runs from October through to March before the Fair, is:
| Finish all payments and receipts for this year’s fair | END JULY |
| Have accounts produced | END SEPT |
| Agree rates for pitches for next fair | OCT |
| Send out invitations to previous stallholders | Early NOV |
| Process the existing stall holders bookings | Mid NOV through to END DEC |
| Process certificates and documents for High Risk Stalls | DEC through to end JAN |
| Send out invites to new stall holders | JAN onwards |
| Cut off for certificates and documents for existing High Risk Stalls | End JAN |
| Cut off for certificates and documents for New High Risk Stalls | End FEB |
| Send out Pitch Allocation Letters | MARCH |
| Hold Fair | Late APRIL / early MAY |
Text in italics are activities done by our Compliance Manager.
Commercial caterers are severely restricted as we prioritise fundraisers for local good causes.
Terms and Conditions
Policies and Terms and Conditions are regularly reviewed, with the latest versions which will apply to traders typically available on this page at least a month before the fair.
FAQs
General Stall Holder Queries
There is NO wi-fi provided at the Fair. If you are bringing card readers then you’ll need to use your mobile phone to connect to a data network.
As a reminder although the Cuckoo Fair is large it is an un-ticketed event and hence is FREE for visitors at the point of entry. As such we cannot afford to provide wifi for all stalls across the Fair. If we could it be a chargeable extra.
Our Terms and Conditions, see https://cuckoofair.co.uk/produce-stallholders-and-booking/policies-ts-cs-documents, outline how we handle cancellation by the stall holders or by ourselves.
You need to send us the name on the account eg Josephine Bloggs, Sort Code eg 12-34-56, Account Number 87654321 and the name of your bank eg High Street Bank. We typically charge an admin fee of £10. We aim to process refunds within a week of receiving the request for them.
The payments have a reference DCF xxx RFND with xxx being your stall holder reference (not location of the your pitch) as printed on the letter from us.
The £10 admin fee for each stall holder booking refund is noted in our terms and conditions and will help to cover some of the annual costs like insurance, rental and legal fees, that we have to pay regardless of whether the fair happens.
To help stall holders understand the status of their application on the A to Z of stall holders web page https://cuckoofair.co.uk/details-of-stallholders-produce-market we are displaying the booking status.
| Not Listed | This means if you are a new stall holder then you are in the Waiting List. We process Returning stall holders before looking at stalls in the Waiting List. |
| Action Reqd | We have sent out a form for you to complete and return to us with your payment and any required documents. We have yet to get your reply. If you want a pitch then send us your application form and fee ASAP. |
| Confirmed – Unpaid | We have your application form but you have yet to pay us. Your pitch location will be shown as TBC. Please pay us ASAP |
| Confirmed – Paid | We have your application form and you have paid us. Your pitch location will be shown as TBC |
| Allocated-Unpaid | We have your form, and have allocated you a pitch. You have yet to pay us and so your pitch is at risk. Your pitch location will be shown as TBC. Please pay us ASAP |
| Allocated-Paid | We have your form, you have paid us and we have allocated you a pitch. Your pitch location will be shown with Zon & Pitch details |
Clicking a Booking Status will display the details, the stalls are listed A to Z. Clicking a stall name will display some details. Last Update shows when the details were last uploaded to the web site. NB we will not be updating the database for a few changes.
EXISTING Stall holder Queries
If you’ve been sent an invitation or a confirmation letter and you have a question then please see our form to contact the Booking Managers directly. This will be quicker than using Social Media eg Facebook / Twitter comments as it goes direct to the Booking Manager(s). We are all volunteers so we don’t monitor our social media regularly!
NEW Stall holder Expressions of Interest
New applicants are welcome, however, we already have a waiting list. Rural craft demonstrators are particularly welcome. Those applicants who compliment the large selection of existing stalls will be contacted in the new year. NB We do not accept telephone applications.
If you would like to be considered to be invited to have a pitch at the Fair, please complete this form with the information.