Roll up, Roll up - 2018 Stratford Mop Fair

The 2018 annual Mop Fair in Stratford-upon-Avon takes place on Thursday 11 October and Friday 12 October. 

The Charity Mop is on Thursday 11 October from 4pm until 11pm.  The Main Mop is on Friday 12 October from 11am until midnight and will be formally opened by The Chairman of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Cllr Christopher Kettle. 

This Mop Fair has a tradition of exciting and-up-date rides, as well as maintaining loyal old-fashioned rides and begins with the main procession and the traditional charity Pig Roast Auction provided by local Scouts. 

The Golden Carousel will also be in Rother Street again this year.

Stratford-upon-Avon Scouts will be having a pig roast on both the 11 and 12 October, this year at the end of Waterside / bottom of Bridge Street.  The Charity Auction will be as normal on 12 October.

There will be an added bonus this year with a Job Market being held on Waterside on Friday 12 October.  Linking into the history of the Mop Fairs which was associated with the hiring of employees, a number of organisations including local hotels, Job Centre Plus and organisations with information on apprenticeships will be available to talk to people looking for work.

The Job Market will be held on Waterside from 10am to 3pm on Friday 12 October 2018.

The Mop has an historic tradition. The original Charter was granted by Edward VI on 28 June 1544 and its part of what makes Stratford-upon-Avon unique. 

As well as the usual attractions of the thrill rides, ghost train and stalls, the 127 year old Golden Carousel is also returning to Stratford for a third year. The fair is also renowned for the open roasting of pigs and the atmosphere remains at a premium right up until its midnight closure.

Stratford-on-Avon Mop Fair has its origins in hiring agricultural and domestic labour, set out some time during the reign of Edward III and provision of the statutes of labourers. The date is set for 12 October (or is moved if the 12th October falls on a Sunday), and as a pleasure fair it remains a key date in the Warwickshire calendar. In the 1950s, during the prominence of railway travel, a plethora of special trains were laid on to ferry the local population to and from the fair.

Stratford Mop has an associated 'runaway mop' one week later taking place on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 October. This tradition derived from the need for employers to reconsider and re-hire any staff before committing to a full years work.

The District Council is very grateful for local people and businesses assistance and co-operation in making the operation of the Mop as trouble free as possible.      

Stratford-upon-Avon Road Closures

To accommodate the Mop the following streets in Stratford-upon-Avon will be closed from 5am on Thursday 11 October until 7.30am on Saturday 13 October:

Greenhill Street
Rother Street (from Ely Street)
Wood Street
Union Street
Bridge Street
Windsor Street (from Mansell Street)
Meer Street
Henley Street
High Street  

This year's runaway Mop will take place in the town centre on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 October. 

The following streets will be closed from 5am on Thursday 25 October until 6am on Saturday 27 October:  

Greenhill Street
Rother Street (from Ely Street)
Wood Street
Windsor Street (from Mansell Street)
Meer Street  

The District Council appreciates these closures of town centre streets can cause problems with access for vehicles and parking during this time, but the road closures will be strictly enforced. Ends