The Floral Fringe Fair returns

The fair is quirky and eclectic as it has a wildlife theme but also a vintage twist. The fair specializes in quality stalls from Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire and stallholders who have actually made what they sell.

Entry is £6.50 per person (or £5.50 each for the first two occupants of a pre-1975 vehicle) Classic and vintage vehicles will have a specially allocated parking area. If in such a vehicle, dressing in appropriate fashion is especially welcome.

Even better, bring your picnic gear and buy all the ingredients at the fair for a picnic by the beautiful lake or eat in our fabulous pop-up tearoom brought to Knepp by The Artisan Bakehouse from near Steyning. Children under 14 free. Well-behaved dogs on leads positively welcomed!

Knepp Castle is the subject of an unusual and nationally important re-wilding project and there will be the chance to learn more about this at the fair. Wildlife safaris have recently been launched on the estate and there may be a chance to sample a mini safari at the fair. Find out more and also directions to the fair at www.knepp.co.uk

The overall theme of the fair is our native wildlife and how to encourage it into the garden but the fair has grown and developed into much more than that. It is about everything that is quintessentially English and quirky, about celebrating the outdoors, gardens and gardening. Also talented craftspeople and artists, the craftspeople of a bygone era with vintage stalls and classic cars and our small local food producers from Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire.

We have over 130 stalls of specialist nurseries, experts on honeybees, bumblebees, birds and bats as well as contemporary crafts and woodland products. Also many local food producers with lots of food stalls. Then there are the craftspeople of yesteryear represented with stalls of vintage collectibles and even a bit of a vintage fashion parade going on!

The fair is also all about everything that is outdoors, health-giving and green.

Words used by visitors to describe our fair last year were ‘Eclectic, Quirky, Quality, Informative and Friendly’.

There will be music, dancing and even some performance art. The beautiful gardens at Knepp Castle, designed by Georgia Langton, will be especially open during the fair.

There will be a wide range of carefully chosen food to suit everyone and plenty of places to sit… Artisan Bakehouse pop-up vintage tearooms, local ale tent also serving Pimms, gourmet fishfinger sandwiches with nori batter, a barbecue, an unusual french potato stir-fry, freshly baked wood-fired oven pizzas, cooked as you wait vegetarian organic bhajis and pakoras, a maker of Ottolenghi-style salads, quiches, pies, cheeses, breads and smoked meat.

Fruit smoothies,coffee, teas, a selection of cakes, strawberries and cream, local icecream, chocolate, marshmallows, fudge and many interesting food stalls from which to buy a picnic to eat by the beautiful lake.

All of our stallholders are independent, small businesses and not many of them have card machine facilities so please remember to bring lots of cash to the fair.

Contact [email protected] and 07939 272443 www.floralfringefair.co.uk

Please like us at www.facebook.com/floralfringefair if you are able! Twitter @floralfringe

Report contributed by Jean Jackman.