Strawberry Fair has been taking place on Midsummer Common for 40 years: a family-orientated festival, it’s run solely by volunteers with the aim of bringing the community together and celebrating all that’s unique about Cambridge.
This year, for its ruby anniversary, there’s a ruby masquerade theme, with traders, performers and visitors invited to dress up, don a mask and join in the fun. “We found that theming it works quite well,” says Kam Sanghera, chair of the Strawberry Fair organising committee.
“This seems to be happening at festivals more and more. In the past we’ve had aliens, fairies… and this year we’re going for a ruby masquerade ball: ruby for the 40th anniversary and red tying in nicely with strawberries. We’d like people to dress up in their best masquerade regalia – just wearing a mask is enough, or they can go the whole hog. I like the idea of people dressing up and making an e ffort, it sets a nice tone for the event. It’s another way of people getting involved – not just being consumers but participants.”
The fair has grown enormously since its humble beginnings in 1974. “The first event was just one stage and a few hay bales,” smiles Kam. “It was started by a group of people linked with the university who wanted an organised event for the town rather than for the colleges. An alternative May Ball, if you like.”
This year, you’ll find distinct areas to explore at the Fair, from a food market to live music stages and craft zones – with mask making, of course. “We have 12-13 di fferent areas including a kids’ area and the Eastern Bloco area where we have arts and crafts, and several stages including the Portland Ballroom,” says Kam. “Then there’s the Village Green space, where we contact lots of the local community groups, like the Cambridge Lindy Hoppers, hula-hoopers etc, who show what they can do and get people to learn and join in.”
Visitors can also browse a multitude of stalls selling all manner of interesting and unusual things, plus a food court. “We’re heading towards more of a market feel this year,” says Kam. “The traders are very much part of the fair’s colour and eccentricity. You get some great stu ff, whether it’s food or clothes or trinkets… we work very hard to get interesting stalls and to cater for everybody.”
The day’s events kick o with the traditional Strawberry Fair parade, a colourful carnival which snakes its way through the town. “The Strawberry Fair parade leaves Midsummer Common at about 10.30am, then goes around the town, through Market Square, and back to the common. That kick-starts the fair e ffectively, and has been an integral part of the event for a number of years. Anybody and everybody can take part in the parade, and community groups are encouraged to come along,” comments Kam.
The fair itself gets going from midday, with music and entertainment continuing throughout the day until 10.30pm. “There’ll be a big finale 10.30-11pm which should be a nice way to bring everybody together on the Village Green at the end of the day,” says Kam.
There are also pre-events taking place on the Friday, including the Strawberry Shorts film festival, held in the incredible undiscovered gem that is the Festival Theatre on Newmarket Road.
Summing up the Strawberry Fair ethos, Kam says: “It’s a day of free alternative entertainment that’s suitable for absolutely everybody, from the youngest of the young to the oldest of the old. It’s run on a non-profit basis by volunteers; it’s noncommercial and very independent. You’re not going to get this much colour and variety anywhere else.”
