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22nd September 2023Everything you need to know for Hull Fair 2023!
Considered the closing event of the UK’s showland season and brought to the city by the Showmen’s Guild, in collaboration with Hull City Council, Hull Fair 2023 is set to return from Friday, October 6 until Saturday, October 14. On the middle Sunday of its run, October 8, the fair will remain closed.
Tradition dictates that the official opening takes place on the first Friday at 5pm, with the Lord Mayor of Hull, who this year is Cllr Kalvin Neal, performing the ringing of the fair bell. The fair will then remain open until 11pm, as per each night of the fair’s duration.
Ride owners and operators are always keen to bring the very latest attractions to Hull and sometimes choose Hull to debut a brand-new ride. There are rides to suit adrenaline seekers, as well as the gentler, fun options to amuse younger fairgoers.
Last year’s fair saw visiting ride Jet Force, one for speed seekers, and the biggest Ferris wheel – a whopping 50m high – dominated the Walton Street skyline. The Giant Wheel Company brought the huge Cityliner Observation Wheel to the city, its wheel having 36 enclosed gondolas with each carriage able to hold six people.
Rowlands Funfair brought its No Limit attraction, with a trio of rotating carriages attached to a huge swinging pendulum, for the opening two nights. A new four-storey funhouse, called the Police Station, also made its debut.
The individual operators can choose what prices to charge their customers – some rides are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and will therefore be more expensive to ride. Chairman of the Yorkshire Showmen’s Guild Michael Cowie said last year that the showmen were considerate of the cost-of-living crisis and would be trying to keep prices down.
He said ahead of the opening of Hull Fair 2022: “In the 1980s rides were maybe £1 and now those same rides are maybe £2-3, which is well below the inflation rise in those 20-30 years. I think some operators may up their prices slightly, but you will not see any astronomical rise.
“We are aware everyone is struggling right now. If we put prices up too much, we simply won’t get the customers.”
Everyone’s favourites are expected to set up at the Walton Street fairground, from big wheels and helter-skelters for some good old-fashioned fun, to a host of sideshows where fairgoers can attempt to win fun prizes. Aside from the bingo and the other amusements, there is plenty on offer when the hunger pangs kick in.
Some people like to simply stroll around the fair, taking in the atmosphere while indulging in a burger or a hotdog, a wispy, sweet candyfloss treat or patty and chips with plenty of salt and vinegar. Like the rides, vendors are bound to have some new sweet or savoury offerings to bring to the fair this year.
Thoughts of the cost-of-living crisis might have to be ignored for the night as families encounter the many enticing stalls with their treats, balloons and light-up toys for sale.