Fair
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Roundabouts (or carousels) are traditional attractions, often seen at fairs. This one was photographed at the famous Nottingham Goose Fair, England, in 1983 |
A
fair is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated
carnival or
funfair entertainment. Activities at fairs vary widely. Some are important showcases for businessmen in agricultural, pastoral or horticultural districts because they present opportunities to display and demonstrate the latest machinery on the market.
Fairs are also known by many different names around the world, such as
carnival,
fete or
fête, county or state fair,
festival,
market and
show, etc.
Flea markets are sometimes incorporated into a fair.
The fair is an ancient tradition, and many communities have long had dedicated
fairgrounds; others hold them in a variety of public places, including streets and town squares, or even in large private gardens. Fairs are often held in conjunction with a significant event, such as the anniversary of a local historical event, a seasonal event such as
harvest time, or with a
holiday such as
Christmas.
That part of a fair (commonly an
American fair such as a county or state fair) where
amusement park rides,
entertainment and
fast food booths are concentrated is called the
midway, after the avenue of amusements at the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition in
Chicago.
In
Roman times, fairs were
holidays on which there was an intermission of labour and pleadings. In later centuries, on any special
Christian religious occasion (particularly the anniversary dedication of a
church), tradesmen would bring and sell their wares (even in the
churchyards). Such fairs then continued annually, usually on the feast day of the
patron saint to whom the church was dedicated. This custom was kept up until the reign of
Henry VI, by which time there were a great many fairs kept on these patronal festivals, for example at
Westminster on
St. Peter's day, at
London on
St. Bartholomew's (the famous
Bartholomew Fair, celebrated in
Ben Jonson's play of the same name) and at
Durham on
St. Cuthbert's day.
Pie-powder courts
:See
Court of PiepowdersBecause of the great numbers of people attracted by fairs they were often the scenes of riots and disturbances, so the privilege of holding a fair was granted by
royal charter. At first they were only allowed in towns and places of strength, or where there was some bishop, sheriff or governor who could keep order. In time, various benefits became attached to certain fairs, such as granting people the protection of a holiday, and allowing them freedom from arrests in certain circumstances. The officials were authorised to do justice to those that came to their fair; eventually even the smallest fair would have had a court to adjudicate on offences and disputes arising within the fairground, which was called a
pye powder court (from
Old French pied pouldre, an itinerant trader, which literally means "dusty feet"), or
pedes pulverizati.
Some fairs were free; others charged
tolls and impositions. At free fairs, traders, whether natives of the kingdom or foreigners, were allowed to enter the kingdom, and were under royal protection while travelling to and returning from the fair. The traders, their agents, and their goods were exempt from all duties and impositions, tolls and servitudes; merchants going to or coming from the fair could not be arrested, or have their goods stopped.
Such fairs (especially those of the
Mediterranean region and some inland regions, particularly
Germany), were extremely important in the commerce of
Europe. The most famous were those of:
*
Frankfurt, (Germany)
*
Leipzig (
Leipzig Trade Fair), (Germany)
*
Milan, Fiera di Sinigaglia
*
Rome, Porta Portese
*
Novi, in the
Milanese region of northern
Italy*
Riga, (
Latvia)
*
Archangel*
St. Germain, at
Paris, (
France)
*
Lyon, (France)
*
Guibray,
Normandy, (France)
*
Beauclaire,
Languedoc, (France)
*
Porto Bello, (
Panama)
*
Veracruz, (
Mexico)
*
Havana (
Cuba)
*
Sweden and
Uppsala, the
Disting*
World's Fair*
State fair*
Trade fair*
Agricultural show*
A vivid description of Bartholomew Fair (in
1825) from
Hone's Every Day Book
