The village fete is a cornerstone of British community life. Whether you call it a summer fair, a garden party, or a fete, the principle is the same: bring the community together outdoors for an afternoon of stalls, games, food, and entertainment. Organising one takes more planning than you might expect, but the reward is a genuinely memorable day.
Start with a committee
No one should try to organise a fete alone. Form a small committee of four to eight people, each taking responsibility for a specific area: stalls, entertainment, logistics, finances, catering, health and safety, and publicity. Hold your first planning meeting at least four to six months before the event date.
Choose a chairperson who can keep meetings focused and make decisions when the committee disagrees. Set clear deadlines for each task and review progress at regular meetings, ideally monthly at first, then fortnightly as the event approaches.
Choosing a date and venue
Most village fetes take place between May and September. Check your date against other local events, school holidays, and major sporting fixtures. Saturday afternoons tend to draw the best attendance, typically 12pm to 4pm or 1pm to 5pm.
The venue is usually a recreation ground, village green, school playing field, or church grounds. Whoever owns the land needs to give formal permission. Check what facilities are available: toilets, power supply, vehicle access for setup, and parking. If there are no permanent toilets, you will need to hire portable units, which typically cost £80 to £150 per unit for a day.
Insurance
Public liability insurance is essential. If someone trips over a guy rope, slips on wet grass, or is injured on a bouncy castle, you need cover. Most parish councils and village hall committees have existing public liability insurance that may extend to community events on their land, so check this first.
If you need to arrange your own cover, event-specific public liability insurance for a single-day community event typically costs £70 to £150 for £5 million of cover. Companies like Eventbright, Hiscox, and Markel offer policies for community events. Any external stallholders or activity providers should carry their own insurance and provide you with a copy of their certificate before the event.
Stalls and activities
A good fete needs variety. Aim for a mix of the following:
- Fundraising stalls -- tombola, raffle, cake stall, bric-a-brac, books, plants, bottles
- Games -- coconut shy, hook-a-duck, splat the rat, egg and spoon races, welly wanging
- Food and drink -- tea and cake tent, barbecue, ice cream, cold drinks
- Entertainment -- local bands, dance groups, dog show, fancy dress competition
- Commercial stalls -- local crafters, small businesses, charity information stands
For commercial stallholders, charge a pitch fee of £15 to £30 for a standard 3m x 3m space. Provide clear guidance on what they need to bring (gazebo, table, signage) and what you will provide (power, if available). Ask stallholders to confirm their booking in writing and pay their fee in advance.
Licensing and permissions
If you are selling alcohol, you need a Temporary Event Notice from your local council. This costs £21 and needs to be submitted at least ten working days before the event. One TEN covers up to 499 attendees. If you expect more, you may need a premises licence, which is more complex and expensive.
If you are holding a raffle with prizes worth more than £50, it must be registered with your local authority as a small society lottery. Registration is free or costs a small fee depending on your council.
If you plan to close a road for the fete, you need to apply to your local highways authority. Road closure applications typically need to be submitted six to twelve weeks in advance and may require a fee.
Health and safety
You do not need to produce a formal written risk assessment for a small community fete, but doing one is good practice and may be required by your insurer. Walk the site and identify hazards: uneven ground, proximity to roads, water features, overhead cables, and any structures that could collapse or blow over in wind.
Ensure you have a first aid presence. St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross both provide event first aid cover, but they are in high demand during summer. Book early or identify qualified first aiders within your community who can volunteer.
If you are providing food, all food handlers should follow basic food hygiene practices. Anyone selling food commercially must be registered as a food business with the local authority. Home bakers selling cakes at a community fundraiser are generally exempt, but all food should be clearly labelled with allergen information.
Promotion
Start promoting at least six weeks before the event. Use every free channel available: parish noticeboards, church newsletters, school book bags, local Facebook groups, village WhatsApp groups, and posters in shop windows. If your local newspaper has a community events listing, submit your details early.
Create a simple event page online where people can find the date, time, location, and what to expect. If you are selling entry tickets in advance, using a free ticketing platform keeps things organised and gives you an indication of expected numbers. Our guide to promoting your event on a budget has more ideas for free and low-cost promotion.
On the day
Set up should begin early, ideally 7am or 8am for a midday start. Have a detailed site plan showing where every stall, activity, and facility is located. Mark pitches with spray paint or pegs the day before if possible.
Assign specific committee members to be on-site troubleshooters. Problems will arise. Gazebos blow over, generators run out of fuel, stallholders get lost. Having designated people who can respond quickly keeps things running smoothly.
Have a clear plan for packing down. Announce when the fete officially closes and give stallholders 30 minutes to pack up. Organise a litter sweep and site check before you leave. Return the venue in the condition you found it.
Wet weather planning
Every fete organiser dreads rain. Have a contingency plan ready. This might mean moving some activities into the village hall, providing extra gazebos, or having an alternative date advertised in advance. At minimum, protect your cake stall and any electrical equipment with gazebos or tarps.
Check the weather forecast in the days leading up to the event, but do not cancel unless conditions are genuinely dangerous. A slightly damp fete is better than no fete at all, and British communities are generally stoic about a bit of drizzle.
After the event
Hold a debrief meeting within two weeks while everything is still fresh. Discuss what worked, what did not, and what you would change next year. Count and bank all money promptly, and publish the financial results to the community. Transparency builds trust and makes it easier to recruit volunteers next time.
Send thank-you messages to volunteers, stallholders, and sponsors. A brief report in the parish magazine or community newsletter, including photos, helps maintain goodwill and builds anticipation for next year. For more guidance on post-event follow-up, see our article on post-event follow-up.
