Roll up, roll up for Great Yarmouth’s annual Easter fair

The traditional Great Yarmouth Easter Fair held in the Market Place.The ceremonial Easter Fair key.Picture: James Bass (Image: Archant Norfolk © 2014)

More than 100 rides and attractions will fill the Market Place over four days and thousands of people are expected to come along and enjoy the fun.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is running the fair, in conjunction with the eastern counties branch of the Showmen's Guild, which will kick off with a reduced prices rides night.

Last year, more than 10,000 people attended the opening day.

Mayor Marlene Fairhead will officially open the event by handing over the ceremonial fair key to representatives from the guild at 4pm next Thursday.

The gold-embossed ceramic key was made by Ernie Childs of Great Yarmouth Potteries to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Royal Charter granted to Yarmouth by King John in 1208.

For the first time in its long tradition, market traders will set up pitches on The Conge throughout the fair, which will take over the Market Place, Fuller's Hill car park and Brewery Plain car park.

Mrs Fairhead said: 'The Easter Fair is a wonderful long-standing tradition which brings thousands of extra people into the borough and town centre over the already-busy Easter period.

'This annual extravaganza is a great way to mark Easter, the start of spring and the start of the tourism season.

'It is a seasonal highlight in the borough's events calendar which I'm sure thousands of children look forward – and it is an extra bonus this year that all four days fall during the school holidays.

'I look forward to seeing families having fun on opening day.'

Among the rides and attractions will be dodgems, a helter-skelter, two fun houses and a crazy bulls rodeo ride.

The fair opens on Thursday, April 9 at noon and continues on April 10 and 11 from 11am to 11pm and on April 12 from 11am to 6pm.