Banbury's historic Michaelmas Fair will be extended to four days this year

The 500-year-old Michealmas Fair will now run from Wednesday October 18 to Saturday October 21, following a one-year licencing agreement between Cherwell District Council and Bob Wilsons Funfairs.

The move is designed to allow more families to enjoy the fair during the daytime and bring more visitors into the town centre.

Cllr Andrew McHugh, portfolio holder for cleaner and greener communities, said: "The Michaelmas Fair has been running in the Banbury town centre for over 500 years and has proven to be a popular part of the town’s history.

"The town centre is the heart of the community for many, and we are always looking at new ways to bring in more visitors and residents to events. We recognised that opening the fair on a Saturday would allow more families to enjoy the fair during the daytime and bring more visitors into the town centre, and following a consultation with Banbury Town Council, Castle Quay, Thames Valley Police, and Banbury BID it was decided to trial a Saturday Michaelmas fair day for this year’s event."

The regular Banbury chartered market will be temporarily moved from the market place to Broad Street between the hours of 9am and 4pm on Saturday (October 21).

After the conclusion of the fair, discussion will be held between the council and key partners and stakeholders to evaluate the response and impact that adding an extra day to the fair has had and the viability of permanently extending the fair.