Community Life · Wollaston
Wollaston Feast, Fete
& Summer Events
Celebrating centuries of community spirit in Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Heritage & Community
For generations, Wollaston has been a village that enjoys coming together. From the historic Wollaston Feast and annual fair, to church gatherings, village celebrations and community events, local life has long revolved around shared occasions and traditions.
The village fair was once one of the highlights of the year, drawing residents together for entertainment, socialising and celebration. That spirit of community remains alive today through summer festivals, open gardens, heritage walks, Christmas fairs and events held throughout the year.
This page explores the history of Wollaston's feasts, fêtes and community celebrations, while recording the memories, photographs and stories that help keep those traditions alive.
If you have memories, photographs, programmes or posters from any Wollaston fete, feast or community event — however old — we would love to hear from you.
Share your memories
The Old Wollaston Feast
The Wollaston Feast was one of those great village institutions that older residents still speak of with warmth and a certain wistfulness. Held in the summer months, it was a proper occasion — the kind that drew families back to the village from miles around, and brought the whole community out onto the streets and greens.
Fairground rides rattled and spun on the open ground. Stalls lined the way — coconut shies, hoopla, games of chance and skill. The smell of brandy snap and hot food drifted through the summer air. There was music, there was laughter, and there was the particular pleasure of seeing neighbours you hadn't seen since the last feast.
For many families, the Feast was the occasion for a special visit — relatives travelling in from Wellingborough, Northampton and beyond, children dressed in their best, the day stretching long into the warm evening. Beacon Hill, the Village Hall and the open spaces of the village all played their part in the festivities over the years.
Like many such traditions, the old Feast gradually faded through the mid-twentieth century — but the spirit it embodied never really left Wollaston. The village simply found new ways to gather.
A Village That Comes Together
What makes Wollaston special is not just its history, but the way its residents have always chosen to share it. The village has never been short of people willing to organise, volunteer, bake, build, perform and participate — and that spirit runs through every community event the village has ever held.
The Wollaston Heritage Society has done much to preserve and celebrate the village's past, while Curiosity Cottage — the village museum on the High Street — keeps the stories alive for new generations. Community volunteers have given countless hours to ensure that Wollaston's traditions are not just remembered, but actively continued.
The Village Hall has been at the heart of community life for decades — hosting everything from jumble sales and quiz nights to concerts, exhibitions and seasonal celebrations. It remains one of the most important community assets in the village.
Whether it is a summer fete, a Christmas fair, an open gardens weekend or a heritage walk, Wollaston events have always been shaped by the same thing: people who care about where they live, and want to share that with their neighbours.
Modern Summer Events
Today, Wollaston's summer calendar is as lively as ever — just in new forms. Village fetes, summer fairs and community festivals bring residents together on the green and in the Village Hall. Open gardens weekends invite neighbours to share their plots. Heritage events organised by the Wollaston Heritage Society and Curiosity Cottage draw visitors from across Northamptonshire.
The Christmas fair has become a much-loved fixture — stalls, lights, mulled drinks and the particular warmth of a village that knows how to mark the seasons. The Courtyard independents and High Street businesses often play their part, making these events a celebration of the whole village, not just its past.
If you know of an upcoming event in Wollaston — a fete, a fair, a heritage walk, a Village Hall evening — please do let us know so we can add it to the Village Diary.
Share Your Memories
Do you remember the old Wollaston Feast? Have you got photographs, posters, programmes or cuttings from a village fete — from any decade? Perhaps a memory of the fairground rides, the coconut shy, the brandy snap stall, or simply the feeling of a long summer evening with the whole village out together?
We are building a record of Wollaston's community gatherings and we would love your contribution — however small. Old photographs are especially welcome, and will be credited and treated with care.