This Monday the Runaway Fair returned to Abingdon Market Place a week after the main Michaelmas Fair. The Runaway Fair traces its roots back centuries when it followed the main Michaelmas hiring Fair. Originally serving as an opportunity for employees to seek new masters, the fair has evolved into a fair where children can hop aboard a roundabout or eat candy floss.
The Runaway Fair is now confined to the Market Place, a change that occurred in 2022, making the event smaller but eliminating the traffic disruption. The only disruption now is to the Monday Market, which is suspended for two weeks to accommodate both fairs.
This year there was drizzle through the early afternoon and evening and the Runaway Fair ran away soon after 6 pm.