Barlow Carnival
A full week of Derbyshire village carnival life with well dressings, a flower festival, a scarecrow competition and then the spectacular Saturday parade of floats, fancy dress and Carnival Royalty through the village, followed by classic cars, alpacas and children's entertainment on the recreation ground.
A well-kept North Derbyshire village that punches above its size with a nationally award-winning gastropub, a medieval sandstone church that anchors an Elizabethan well-dressing tradition, and enough walking country on the Peak District edge to earn a half-day stop rather than a passing glance.
Cottages, B&Bs and hotels near Barlow, Derbyshire.
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"Three wells dressed with intricate flower-and-clay panels anchor a full week of events in this limestone gorge village each late July, including a fell race, model boat race, treasure hunt and brass band on the village green."
Stoney Middleton Well Dressing
"On the last Saturday of the month the Agricultural Business Centre fills with Peak District producers, in the town that gave its name to the pudding."
Bakewell Farmers' Market
"At the Barley Mow pub in Bonsall village, hens race over a thirty-foot course in heats building to a grand final, watched by enthusiastic crowds who take this Derbyshire Peak District tradition with exactly the gravity it deserves."
Bonsall World Championship Hen Racing
✦ Weird and Wonderful"A well-loved Peak District village custom in the heart of the Hope Valley, where Bradwell's community gathers each August to display and bless its hand-crafted petal mosaics."
Bradwell Well Dressing
"Derbyshire's premier steam and heritage show on a hillside farm in the Peak District fringes, with a working plant area, military living history groups, a wall of death and over 300 years of machinery on display in a single field."
Cromford Steam Rally
"First Saturday of the month on the Memorial Gardens, with local produce, music and the steep stone streets of a former lead mining town climbing away on every side."
Wirksworth Farmers' Market
"A Leicestershire village fills its gardens, drives and lamp posts with over a hundred themed scarecrows each August Bank Holiday, inviting visitors to walk the trail and vote for their favourite over three days."
Desford Scarecrow Festival
"The Staffordshire village of Pattingham mounts scarecrows through its streets and gardens for three late September days, running alongside fairground rides and food stalls at the village club in a festival that has quietly become one of the best attended scarecrow events in the Midlands."
Pattingham Scarecrow Festival
"A revival of Spalding's tulip-country tradition dating to 1959, where volunteer-built floats covered in thousands of fresh tulip heads parade 2.94 miles through the town accompanied by marching bands and entertainers."
Spalding Flower Parade
"A volunteer-run village carnival revived in 2023 that draws over 1,000 people to Fisher Road for a grand procession, live music, and fairground rides celebrating community spirit."
Bishop's Itchington Carnival
"Brinklow's motte-and-bailey castle mound looks over a village that transforms itself every July into a scarecrow display with over eighty handmade figures spread across gardens and public spaces, combining a weekend of live music, craft stalls and a dog show into a genuinely full-village celebration."
Brinklow Village Festival and Scarecrow Trail
"Over 100 events in 8 days on the Jurassic Coast, with a Wild West theme for 2026, a carnival procession, air display, fireworks finale, Titan the Robot, Granny Turismo shopping trolley dancers and open water swimming, all free and raising £40k for local charities."
Swanage Carnival Week