Review: Winter Fair at South of England Showground

23rd & 24th November 2024 – South of England Showground, Ardingly

The Winter Fair at The South of England Showground in Ardingly ticks all the boxes for a festive day out for all the family. 

Despite the wind and rain, the event is mostly indoors so you can enjoy all the seasonal fun without getting drenched.

Parking is free and well organised, and from the moment you enter, the Winter Fair feels like a festive village that’s packed with things to do. 

There was plenty of festive fun including a giant snow globe, perfect for a snowball fight or photo op with the family and elf workshops with Mistletoe the Elf. Here, the children sang songs, coloured in Christmas decorations and wrote a letter to Santa which they all loved.

Speaking of the big man himself, you can also visit Santa’s Grotto for £5 per child. Santa was very friendly and great with the children, giving each one a gift. 

Add live music into the mix with musicians and singers belting out Christmas classics and you’ve got the perfect soundtrack to a festive day. All staff encountered were in a great mood despite the bad weather.

There was also a children’s funfair and a huge range of street food stalls selling virtually everything you can think of including Thai, Italian, burgers and chips, hog roast and more as well as a bar for drinks. 

You can also enjoy a huge number of stalls selling food and drink, artisan products and gifts from independent and local sellers. Whether you’re shopping for Christmas presents or just treating yourself, there’s loads to explore.

If you’re feeling creative, you can try your hand at wreath making or chocolate decorating at an extra cost. 

Despite the bad weather, it was a lovely festive day out that the whole family enjoyed. Between two and four hours is a good amount of time to spend here, the latter including lunch.

The only negative part is that virtually everything costs extra money including Santa’s grotto, the funfair and craft activities. It would be a nice touch if these were included with the cost of your ticket.

Winter Fair at South of England Showground review – 4 stars