Clouds of candy floss were bagged up for the final day of the Abingdon Michaelmas Fair.  The weather forecast was cloudy with a high chance of precipitation.

But the show went on.

A fire engine was parked by the Abbey Gateway. The fire station is in the middle of the fair and so the fire engine needs to be ready to respond in case of emergency.

The other side of the Abbey Gateway people were enjoying the amusements.

There were dry spells with lengthy showers in-between.

Fine weather for ducks – a prize every time.

Along Ock Street there were plenty of brave people up on the rides, going round and round and up and down.

By the Drayton Road double roundabout there’s a swing roundabout that goes much higher and then down.

The Michaelmas Fair will disappear overnight and be back next weekend in a reduced size as the Runaway Fair.

The Abingdon Michaelmas Fair stretches across the Market Place and along High Street and Ock Street, making it the longest street fair in the United Kingdom.

Marshall, the fire puppy from Paw Patrol, was among the popular cartoon characters featured on balloons at the 2024 Abingdon Michaelmas Fair. Joining him was Bluey, sticking out at the top on another balloon.

While the cartoon characters may vary from year to year, food at the fair stays the same. Favourites are burgers, sausages, and chips.

Not all of us can understand the appeal of eating + disorienting rides.

I love the Mexican Food from Dorindos –

but not combined with the Extreme Speed of Vortex.

The weather held out well for the Monday of Michaelmas Fair. As the sun set at around 7 PM, the lights in the Market Place illuminated the crowd.

More tomorrow.

Abingdon Town Council has made a new deal with Bob Wilson & Sons Funfairs Ltd. Because of this, the funfair has been open for an extra day today, Sunday. It started at 4 pm and finished at 9 pm. It will start again at noon tomorrow, Monday.

The Fair Service was held at 3 pm instead of the usual 8 pm. There were many people there. The Abbey Brass Band played the hymns.

The service was led by the Mayor, Cllr Gabby Barody, and by Deacon Selina Nisbett.

After the service there was a free ride on the galloping horses for those at the service.

Many people knew that the fair was starting early, and by 4 pm all the stalls and rides were open and the roads were full with people.

A fire engine was driven through the fair at one point. There are many road changes because of the fair, and a letter has been sent to town centre residents warning that the fair may make it take slightly longer for firefighters to arrive in case of a fire. The advice is: fit smoke alarms, keep doors closed at night, do a safety check before bed, practice your fire action plan.

It started to drizzle at around 5 pm, followed by a heavier rain. After the rain stopped, there were many open stalls and bright lights, but not as many customers.