This part of Somerset is packed full of a diverse selection of events that take place throughout the year. Here is just a taster of some of the many things you may want to experience during your stay at Somerset Holiday Cottages.
January
Wassail
An experience as authentically Somerset as you can get! A centuries-old tradition with the aim of warning off bad spirits from apple orchards and ensuring a bountiful harvest in the year ahead. Singing, dancing, dressing up in colourful folk costumes and the consumption of mulled cider are all part of this fun custom. The banging of pots and pans is also likely to be involved in the ritual, which has Pagan roots and was often performed on Twelfth Night, but is now practised on various dates in January and February in various locations.
February
Shepton Snowdrop Festival
An annual celebration of the snowdrop, one of the first signs of Spring. The festival features specialist growers and nurseries with flowers for sale, as well as workshops, arts and crafts, and poetry and photography competitions. More than half a million snowdrops have been planted around the town by volunteers in recent years, livening up roadsides, roundabouts and public spaces. James Allen was a 19th century snowdrop breeder who lived in the town. Known as the snowdrop king, he is thought to be the first person to deliberately cross and raise different snowdrop hybrids from seed and is credited with breeding at least 100 snowdrop varieties.
April
Castle Cary Food Festival
Free, family-friendly and full of local food producers, mostly all based within 30 miles. The main road through the market town is closed to traffic for the event which has a variety of delicious food to eat there on the street as well as produce to take home and cook. There are talks, workshops and demonstrations to keep you entertained.
May
May Day
Where better to experience May Day than Glastonbury. Known as Beltane, it’s an ancient Celtic festival that is celebrated over five days in the town and marks the mid-point between the spring equinox and summer solstice. The main event in Glastonbury is the large procession through the town and up to the Tor, with drummers, Morris Dancers, druids, green men and women, and the May king and queen all adding to the spectacle.
June
Bath and West Show
The four day agricultural extravaganza takes place every summer half term and celebrates all aspects of farming and rural life. With livestock demonstrations, food halls, crafts, a dog show, equestrian competitions, trade stands, and children’s entertainment, there is plenty for everyone.
Glastonbury Festival
More than 200,000 people descend on the fields of Pilton for the world famous music extravaganza every year. With big names such as Elton John, Coldplay and Foo Fighters headlining in recent years, there are also countless smaller acts to take in across more than 100 stages. You’ll also find cabaret, theatre, circus performances, green fields, kids’ field, and much more within the huge site, which has a perimeter of eight and a half miles!
Summer solstice
The day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year, and when the sun is at its highest position in the sky. You’ll have plenty of company at Glastonbury Tor, where hundreds usually gather to bang drums, dance round a fire and soak up the atmosphere as the sun rises at dawn.
July
Frome Festival
A community arts festival, last year saw more than 200 events take place over 10 days. The cultural feast includes live music, art, theatre, comedy, spoken word, dance, film and fashion shows. There are also workshops, children’s shows and plenty of food and drink vendors to sample.
August
Glastonbury Extravaganza
A concert held every August in the atmospheric grounds of Glastonbury Abbey, previous acts to perform include Van Morrison, Texas and Paloma Faith. The event always concludes with a spectacular fireworks finale.
September
Somerset Arts Week/Open Studios
These two events alternate each year, with both offering the chance to visit to immerse yourself in the work of local artists. The open studios focuses on individual artists, who throw open the doors of their workshops and studios for the public to visit. Meanwhile the arts week festival is a broader celebration of the county’s artists and makers, with group exhibitions, projects and events held at venues across Somerset.
October
Wells Food Festival
More than 200 traders offer their wares, with street food, drinks and homewares. Billed as a celebration of local produce and culinary talent, the festival takes place in the lovely setting of the lawns outside the medieval Bishops Palace and on the pretty cobbled streets of Wells Market Place. It’s also known for its focus on English wine, with the opportunity to meet local vineyard owners and sample their wines.
November
Carnival
Huge processions of brightly-lit and intricately-decorated carnival carts travel through towns which are part of the carnival circuit throughout November. Each cart has a different theme – think pirates, the ancient Aztecs and the Wild West – with members of each carnival club dressing up and dancing to music on their carts. Bridgwater is the home of carnival, with Wells, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet all on the same circuit. Said to be the largest illuminated procession in the world, the tradition is linked to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
December
Glastonbury Frost Fayre
Craft and food stalls line the streets, which are closed to traffic for this celebration of winter, all carried out in true-Glastonbury style. The event is a feast for the senses, with live music and dancing, with the smell of mulled cider, incense and street food permeating the air.
