The Christmas Forty Farms Fair returns to Rheged this month.
Developed with Kendal Farmers Market and Lovingly Artisan, it will be held at the centre, near Penrith, on Saturday November 16.
The show will shine a spotlight on wool-focused producers, welcome an array of new exhibitors from Dan’s Plants with his Christmas planted pots to the Flying Chocsman, Northern Baked, and Loopy Lisa Fudge and host free talks by Richard Byers on Cumbrian dialect, Maria Benjamin on Lake District tweed, Jo McGrath on diversifying Yew Tree Farm and Jane Hasell-McCosh on the Marmalade Awards.
Claire Logan-Stephens, head of programming at Rheged, said: “We are so excited about the Christmas Forty Farms Fair with the largest number of exhibitors to date.
“It offers a chance to buy seasonal and local produce, meet the growers and makers, and learn more about our unique farming landscape.
“The wool focus links with our latest exhibition Native Spirit: The Herdwick in the main Gallery, while the chance to hear first-hand about the Marmalade Awards will certainly whet your appetite to see Paddington in Peru on the cinema screen.”
Between 10am and 3pm, over 35 stands selling food, drink, handmade gifts and crafts will come together at Rheged, including Heartwood Poultry, Torpenhow Cheese Co, Lovingly Artisan, Pennington’s Spirits, Eden Yard, The Legendary Sauce Co, and Ginger Bakers, while the wool-focused producers will showcase products including rugs and carpets from Wools of Cumbria, Lakeland Tweed from Dodgson Wood, alongside the Wool Clip collective of makers and The Herdwick Experience.
Visitors will also have the chance to see Ian Lawson’s latest photography exhibition, Native Spirit: The Herdwick, in Rheged’s Gallery. The exhibition, open daily until 24 November, brings to life the story of these iconic sheep through 70 of Ian’s favourite new photographs from his latest book, The Lake District: Herdwick, available exclusively at Rheged’s Gallery shop.
Entry to the event is free, and all visitors have the chance to enter a raffle to win a special hamper filled with locally sourced products. Proceeds from the raffle will go to Growing Well, a Cumbrian charity supporting mental health and well-being through organic vegetable growing.
For more information about Forty Farms Fair visit https://rheged.com/forty-farms-fair/
