Eight great things which every fete should have
The village fete seems like such a typically English tradition. So it’s easy to forget that fete is actually a French word – across the English Channel it means festival, celebration or party. Over here it means a gathering of people raising money for a worthy cause by playing some very unusual games and buying some things which often reappear for sale at next year’s fete.
Arts and Crafts company Baker Ross has loads of summer fair ideas – including The Duck Pond, Hoopla, Coconut Shy and Tombola. Infuriatingly for us adults the children are often better at these games than we are!
Games feature in our top eight of things fete organisers must bear in mind, read the full list (below) to find out the others…
Location – a village green is the ideal location for a fete. If there is a duck pond or war memorial nearby, please be careful about the location of the coconut shy stall. If a village green is not available then the cricket ground or school playing fields are adequate replacements.
A celebrity to open the fete – this can really drum up interest in a fete, perhaps someone on your fete committee is a friend of someone famous and could ask them to cut the ribbon to open the fete? Getting the celebrity to nominate a charity to benefit from the fete proceeds could persuade them to do the scissors-and-ribbons honours. I still remember how the boxer Chris Eubank and the actor Christopher Biggins opened two of my school’s fetes. Unfortunately, Biggins turned up two hours late but he was very apologetic.
The stocks – putting someone in some ‘stocks’ (a piece of wood with space for someone’s head and arms to go through) and throwing some wet sponges at them has long been a feature of British fetes. This sideshow is far more popular if a local figure of authority can be put in the stocks – seeing if the local vicar or headmaster/headmistress is game for a laugh can help you raise more money.
Coconut shy – it is best not to space the sideshows too far apart as this will spoil the atmosphere at a fete. But keeping the Coconut Shy stall and the Stocks stall apart is always a good idea. Always plan so that there is a sturdy backdrop to absorb the impacts of the wooden balls (and coconuts) thrown in the game. Baker Ross suggests that the wire fences of tennis courts are ideal backdrops and that charging 30p for three balls and 50p for six is sound economic sense.
Appointing an MC – the sound of excited tannoy announcements drifting through the summer air is sure to attract visitors in much the same way that an ice cream van’s musical motif does. Hiring a good sound system will allow the MC to tell people at the fete about the running order of the entertainment and also make ‘lost child’ announcements.
Food – candy floss and toffee apples are a must at all fetes and try to appoint someone with lots of energy to man the cake stall – they will be rushed off their feet! Homemade jam and pickles in jars with handwritten labels are also fete essentials.
Hoopla – Hoopla and fetes go together like a horse and carriage. People love rolling up their sleeves and showing off their skill at chucking a hoop over an object they desire to win. Baker Ross suggests that charging 30p for four hoops and selecting prizes valued at upwards of 60p will raise money for charity while giving fete-goers plenty of opportunities to win. If too many people are winning, you can always adjust the rules to insist that a prize is only won if a hoop comes to rest completely flat around the block the prize is balanced on!
Second-hand book stalls – it’s always nice to wonder about the person who used to own the book you have just bought. Perhaps, if they owned the book as a child, they have given you a clue to their identity by writing their name on the inside page!
Whatever attractions you organise at your fete, have fun!