For a town the size of Bromyard – there is a lot going on! Throughout the year there are numerous events taking place, which involve not only the locals but bring many thousands of visitors, like yourself, to the area.

The early May Bank Holiday Weekend brings added colour to the town when Town Criers and their escorts from this country and oversees attend a two day competition.

The second week in June brings C’Fest Scarecrow Competition, a festival supported by the Town Council where all organisations are invited to participate in some way, resulting in a real community event. During the weekend, locally made scarecrows are dotted around the town in shop windows, people’s gardens and parks. These encourage visitors to make a guess at what each scarecrow is depicting with songs, films and book titles the answers in recent years. In 2010, the theme is Traditional Tales so it’s time to get out those children’s stories once more…

The first full weekend in July sees the long established Bromyard Gala which started in 1967. The event now attracts over 15,000 people to its 50 acre site at Birchyfields on the outskirts of the town. There is something for all the arena events, vintage vehicles including cars, motorcycles, tractors, army and commercial vehicles, heavy horses, trade stands, plants from established nurseries, craft marquees and a Food Hall. Run entirely by volunteers, the Gala provides a full weekend of entertainment in a beautiful part of the Herefordshire countryside. Visitors with tents and caravans are welcome to stay on the site. For more information, please contact the Chairman, Liz Huffer: (01531) 640325.

September brings the Folk Festival with some of the best names in folk song and dance appearing on stage. Tickets for the event are usually sold out well in advance. The event takes place at Broadbridge, within walking distance of the centre. There is also a wonderful atmosphere in the streets and pubs with musicians and singers performing and Morris Dancers maintaining the best of rural traditions.

Towards the end of November sees the switching on of the town’s famous Christmas Lights display! Bromyard is fortunate in having narrow streets in which to string across spectacular lights for the festive period. The day is marked by entertainment in the Market Square, and numerous fund raising events throughout the town. Usually switched on by a local celebrity, the Lights attract many hundreds of people each year and are a credit to the volunteers who spend six or seven weeks erecting them. Father Christmas always finds time to visit, and with his elves, gives away gifts to the many children who visit his grotto.

It is an endeavour of local organisations to try to organise other events during the year, for both visitors and residents. These include concerts by the Bromyard and District Choral Society, the Bromyard Wind Band, productions by the various drama groups, and entertainment by local up-and-coming bands in the various pubs around the town.

You will notice that a few of the shop windows have a historical feel about their displays. The Bromyard Heritage Group work tirelessly to source local ‘antiques’ to decorate shop windows which in other towns lie empty and discarded. Not here, however, for Broad Street and High Street are host to by-gone toys, dolls, bears and books, a high-class dress-maker, grocers, and a view inside an old-fashioned kitchen. This ‘festival’ of an era long gone is sure to delight both young and old.