Out and about

Strawberry Fair, Midsummer Common, Cambridge. Saturday 7th June, 2008. Parade from 11.30am; Fair opens at midday. Free entry.

It's like a Mecca for the millions - well, quite a few thousand at any rate.  Come one, come all - Strawberry Fair is a fabulous family day out.  It's just about the trendiest place to be seen if you're a teen, and for the rest of us, it's a chance to chill or strut - the choice is yours.

Strawberry Fair 06, Copyright Neil Baker

There's barely a strawberry in sight unless you count the giant plastic ones on top of the beer tent, but it's still the cream of the crop when it comes to sunny summer one-dayers.

Rain or shine, Strawberry Fair never fails to pack the crowds in to Midsummer Common - not to mention the hundreds who travel to the city from all over the UK adding to the day's eclectic - and eccentric - atmosphere. The great, the good, families, happy hippies and a number of the great un-washed all make their way to the river to enjoy good food, great music - and generally soak up the atmosphere.

The parade...

Strawberry Fair traditionally makes its presence felt with a massed parade of samba bands, steel drums and stunning costumed creatures. This usually leaves Midsummer Common around 11.30am, but it's a bit of a moveable feast which gradually wends its way through the centre of the city, reminding shoppers that's there are better things to do today than buy some new pants!

This year's theme is Recycling is Not a Myth, so expect to see weird and wonderful mythical creatures made from recycled materials.

The music...

One of the major attractions is the wide range of live music on offer from midday when the Fair really kicks off until whenever we all run out of energy. With over four stages, including the ever-popular BigWam there's something for everyone - most of it homegrown talent.

Image copyright: strawberry-fair.org.uk

This year there's a brand new World Music stage, Strawberry World, bringing together a great mix of bands, artists and DJs covering anything from Ska, Samba, Soca, Rock-Steady, Afro-Cuban, Raga, Afrobeat, Marrabenta (what?) to Celtic, Cumbia, Salsa, Dub, Reggae, Roots, Mbalax and many others you've probably not heard of either!

The food...

Somewhere up in the mountains there's probably a very lonely goat-herd as most of his flock seems to get curried in honour of Strawberry Fair - and very good it is, too. They do things with felafel that you wouldn't believe and there's nothing crepe(y) about the man who makes the giant gallettes!

And drink? Well, it wouldn't be a fair without at least two huge beer tents, would it? But fear not, there's plenty of chilled water, soft drinks and more exotic liquids to try... basically, if it sits still for long enough, someone will juice it for you!

The entertainment...

For many, just being at Strawberry Fair is entertainment enough, but if you need a little more stimulation of the senses, then try a bit of anarchy or healing in the Green Area, kick-back and watch the roving performers, get arty, crafty, tattoo'd or watch some of the best new shorts at the Fair's very own Film Festival.

The kids...

There are loads of free activities for kids including a circus, magic shows, bouncy castles, face painting, trampolines, arts and crafts, PS3s and Wii, a climbing wall and much more. Plus there's a special family chill-out area so you can keep the kiddies away from all that beer and the funny smells that seem to come from some people's cigarettes...

The ethical bit...

It's your Fair - Play Fair

Strawberry Fair believes in being a good neighbour and so this year has launched a campaign to encourage visitors of the Fair to not only respect others whilst enjoying the entertainment but also those living nearby Midsummer Common. There's nothing revolutionary about what they're asking you to do, it's all just common sense, really, innit?

The photos

Remind yourself of the fun and frivolity of Strawberry Fair with our galleries from last year's gloriously sunny event.

And we always want to see your pictures too, so remember to take your cameras with you and send in your photos of this year's fair for our gallery: