COVID

We're really looking forward to seeing you but if you have COVID symptoms or a member of your household is isolating please do NOT attend.

Accessibility

The Festival takes place in a flat field, suitable for people with limited mobility, i.e. wheelchairs and mobility scooters. There will be toilets for people with limited mobility, as well as preferred parking spaces for people with a blue card.

From a food & drink point of view, the Festival will cater for most needs, but please check with the organisers, either in advance or on the day, if you have any questions.

Sustainaiblity

Over the past few years a lot of work has been done on increasing the sustainability of the festival in various ways. We have become a plastic free site, asking traders not to bring any single use plastics – bags, cutlery, sauce sachets etc.

We have also encouraged our visitors to bring plastic cups to refill at the bar or they can purchase a souvenir cup for £1 with their pint.

We were determined not to increase the carbon footprint of the festival by moving out of town so we put on a free bus service so people could get to us easily. This was very well used and also meant that people could pop in to Ottery to the shops there so we tried to play our part in supporting the local businesses.

We gave anyone who cycled to us a reusable cup for their drinks from the bar as a reward for travelling sustainably.

We have always tried to pick chefs from as close to Ottery as possible and, in the information we sent them, we now ask them to choose in season, local, sustainable produce for their demos, suggesting producers we think they should use.

After the event all waste was sorted into recyclable and non recyclable and our food waste was taken by East Devon District Council to be composted, in a partnership which was the first of its kind.

We also arranged for any usable food waste from traders to be given to the local community larder so the festival produced no food waste at all, something we are very proud of.

Because of the lack of plastic at the festival we created a very small amount of waste and about half was recycled.

All these things added up to make last year’s festival the most sustainable one to date. But we’re still working on it. In 2022 we want to reduce the amount of disposable coffee cups which made up the bulk of our non recyclable waste, and encourage traders to think about where their produce is sourced.

We are a no glass site because for 50 weeks of the year it is part of a working farm.

Public Transport

The festival is being held in a field next to the Ottery Garden Centre. Free shuttle buses will be running on a continuous loop running every 10/15 minutes running from outside the Silver Otter on Silver Street (near the library). The Festival opens at 10:00 so they will be running from 09:30.

You can also hop on the number 4/4a Stagecoach Bus and visitors from Honiton, Gittisham, West Hill, Kings Reach etc on that route will find this the easiest way to get to the Festival. Or, if not on the bus route, please park in the town centre (there are a couple of Council car parks) and catch the shuttle bus.

Please do not try and drive up there as parking is limited and will overrun the Garden Centre car park.

Cycling to the event is encouraged, and all cyclists will be given a free reusable cup on production of their cycle helmet.

Money

Please note that there is no cash machine on the site, and not all traders take card payments therefore please ensure that you come appropriately supplied with cash – there is a cash machine at the Sainburys in town.

Toilets

These are on the edges of the site, sign posted and also marked on the map. Disabled toilets will be provided.

Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, please stay calm and follow instructions from the Police, Festival Stewards or any other emergency services involved. An experienced First Responder will be on site.

Lost Children

As you enter the festival, please pick up a wrist band for your child and write your name on the inside of it. This will help us in case you become detached from them. Again, if you are worried please let a steward know.

Dogs

Dogs on leads are welcome. Please, of course, pick up after your dog, bag and bin.