It’s not often that you’re walking through Oxfordshire and come across knights riding horses and jousting with other knights. Perhaps in the 13th century, but certainly not in the 21st.
Having said that, it’s not a complete rarity. That is to say, if you’re walking around the Thame Showground on the 31st of March or the 1st of April this year, you might see just that!
The Thames Country Fair, which occurs in the spring of each year, is one of the most weird and wonderful events in the UK, and it’s not just jousting that makes it a huge draw.
Elsewhere in the festival, you can come across motorbike stunt displays, falconry, scurry driving, amongst plenty of other exhibitions. For locals in Oxfordshire, it’s always been a huge draw which never fails to bring out the crowds, but in the last few years, it has racked up record attendance from across the UK.
If it sounds like something you’d be interested in, we’d heavily recommend travelling to the country and checking it out, but before you do that, have a quick read of our guide to get a flavour of what to expect.
What is the Thame Country Fair?
The Thame Country fair is first and foremost a horse festival, with the exciting ‘horse boarding’ event always taking top billing. But as mentioned before, there are plenty of other events that have grown in popularity.
Complete with food markets – featuring top guest chefs such as Dean Edwards and the Crabstock Boys – musical performances, and activities including fishing, shooting, archery, and paintball, the fair has become the perfect opportunity to enjoy the spring weather and have as much fun as possible.
Taking place at the Thame Showground on Kingsey Road, it takes place over two days, and all tickets must be booked in advance in order to attend.
What are the Main Thame Country Fair Events?
One of the most popular events at Thame Country Fair is the craziest sport you’ve never heard of: horse boarding. During this event, a skateboarder attaches themselves to a horse and rider, and then speeds around a series of obstacles. The aim of the game is to avoid touching or hitting the obstacles, and the ‘boarder’ with the fastest lap is the winner.
Scurry Driving also sees a consistently big turnout. Taking place in the main arena, this event sees ponies and carriages – operated by a driver and groom – navigate a course of obstacles to get to the finish line. Once again, if an obstacle is hit, then this deducts from the finishing time.
Apart from horse-focused events, other popular events in 2024 will include the stunt display, falconry, the Comebye Sheepdogs display and – one of our personal favourites – ‘chase the bunny’.
For those unaware, that last one is a race between dogs who have been matched by their size and breed, racing to catch a lure and hand the infamous trophy to their owners. It’s fun, exciting, and downright hilarious.
Why Go to the Thame Country Fair 2024?
If none of these events have convinced you that the Thame Country Fair is worth going to, as mentioned before, there are a number of other activities that can make the fair fun for the whole family.
The bottom line is that this is an infamous springtime festival that is full of good vibes and smiling faces. It might be a little wild in places, but that just adds to its charm.
Whether you want to simply stroll around food markets, listen to some live jazz and country performances, watch a skateboarder toe themselves behind a horse, or simply relax in the sun and enjoy the atmosphere, this event can provide all of that in more.
You’ll never know how fun it is unless you attend, however, so get those tickets booked and kick off Spring 2024 in the best way possible.
