Dulse and Yellowman at the Auld Lammas Fair, Ballycastle

For two days of the year, the small coastal market town of Ballycastle hosts it’s traditional Lammas Fair – a tradition which goes back over 400 years.

The town swells with stall holders and visitors, and the most popular stalls are those selling the local “delicacies” (I use that word advisedly) of dulse (inedible edible seaweed) and yellowman (a hard honeycomb candy which must be the bane of dentists).

There were lots of food vans selling everything from standard fish and chips, crepes, irish stew and allegedly the best burgers outside America!

At one end of the town is a traditional horse fair.

The stalls were selling a variety of wares, from motor cycle jackets to vintage phones

irish dancing dresses to inflatable toys and tweed caps

There were also quite a few traders offering to braid hair, temporary tatoos, facepainting etc.

And despite the showery weather, the crowds came in their thousands.

I must confess we usually avoid the crowds and traffic chaos, but this year I was asked to come along to Craft Connections, to demonstrate my janmary designs  jewellery making

It was lovely to meet some new customers, and to get some feedback on colours and styles.

Is there a traditional fair where you live? If so, what is it you love/hate about it?