All you need to know about Nottingham’s Goose Fair

Notts’ beloved ten-day Goose Fair is back after a two year hiatus, and it does not disappoint. The fair is a rite of passage for freshers, your first big outing outside of halls. If you managed to win one of those enormous octupi, I am extremely jealous. Round of applause to all who had the balls to go on one of the massive upside down rides, the waltzer was enough excitement for me.

Why is it called Goose Fair?

Goose Fair actually used to be about selling geese, starting in the year 1284, believe it or not. The geese were transported from Lincolnshire to Nottingham, but nowadays, the only goose you will find this year is Goosey, the Goose Fair Goose. Goosey comes out of hibernation when the fair begins, and takes his proud position sitting on the Mansfield Road roundabout.

Where is it?

The fair is located Forest Recreation ground, conveniently placed right by a tram stop, so there is no excuse for you being able to get there. As soon as you walk in, you are immediately hit by the overwhelming smells of their vast variety of food stalls. They have everything, from Chinese street food to German sausages to Nottinghamshire’s traditional mushy peas stand. The mushy peas do look quite questionable, however.

When is it on?

Goose Fair is on from the 30th of September to the 9th of October, so get down there as quick as you can. You’ll deffo regret it if you don’t go.

Have they got food?

A personal fave of mine is the foot-long spiralized potato. This seasoned, spiralized spud snack on a stick is perfect for those who want a pre-ride energy boost, and it is a perfect pic for your insta story. How do they even get it like that?

Tornado potato…

For those with a sweet tooth, pretty much every stall seems to have candy floss. There are also doughnuts, crepes, fudge, and large assortments of traditional British sweets. Although, I would definitely recommend staying clear of any of these if you decide to venture on the Super Waltzer or the Reverse Bungee, it may not end well.

yum

What rides do they have?

After you regretfully down all that food, it’s time to spend the majority of your bank balance on the rides. Goose Fair has something for everyone, that is for sure, boasting over 250 rides as one of the biggest travelling funfairs in Europe.

For thrill-seekers, Ice Jet, Atmos Fear and Fighter will have your heart beating out of your chest. For the more fragile (aka, me), hook-a-duck, bumper cars and the win-a-stuffed-animal stalls are perfect. The Ghost Train was a personal favourite of mine, props to the guy running around in a skeleton costume scaring people, my dream job.

The rides all ranged in price from four to ten pounds, with the bigger and scarier rides being more expensive. The larger rides boast views of the whole of Notts, and they even have a mini London Eye.

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