Callington’s Honey Fair is a tradition steeped in centuries of history, with its roots stretching all the way back to 1267, when King Henry III granted the town a market charter allowing annual fairs to take place.

While early fairs faded over time, the Honey Fair as we recognise it today became established in the 19th century, forming part of a wider tradition of honey markets across South East Cornwall.

The event continued for many years before disappearing during the 1940s, only to be revived in 1978 by local businessman John Trewithick. Just a year later, the fair was taken on by Callington Lions, who have organised and developed it ever since, helping it grow into one of Cornwall’s largest and most loved street events.

Today, Callington proudly remains the only town in Cornwall to retain the name “Honey Fair”, celebrating its heritage with a vibrant mix of stalls, entertainment, competitions and community spirit.

From its medieval origins to its modern-day celebrations, Honey Fair continues to bring people together — a true reflection of Callington’s history, identity and community pride.

Callington Lions have grown the event bigger year on year. In 2025 we welcomed over 7,000 visitors to the day.

And on the 3rd Ocrober 2026 we welcomed over 8,400 visitors in just one day. It was Mad, it was Crazy, it was Totally Buzzing and we are now sat pondering.... how are we going to top THAT?

CALLINGTON LIONS DO IT AGAIN AS HONEY FAIR SMASHES RECORDS

Callington Lions’ Jubilee Honey Fair has been hailed an outstanding success after more than 8,400 people descended on the town for a day of entertainment, community spirit, creativity and plenty of cake, bacon and tea.

After last year’s Honey Fair was forced to be cancelled because of Storm Amy, expectations were high for its return — and Callington Lions certainly did not hold back.

Celebrating the club’s 50th year of service to Callington, the Lions expanded the event, introduced new attractions and placed an even stronger emphasis on making Honey Fair an enjoyable and affordable day out for everyone.

Attendance rose from around 7,500 in 2024 to more than 8,400 this year, while traders reported some of their best-ever days.

Tracy Ledger of Kings Orchard Produce said:

“The best single day trade we’ve had in 10 years. We sold out and had to take orders for collecting the next day.”

My Little Kitchen Bakes said:

“Wow, what a day! We had to restock during the day and still only had one solitary bake left at the end of the day.”

And Tracy Giddy of The Snack Shop summed up their experience rather perfectly:

“We have been immensely busy — our busiest day ever. We are knackered!”

Bigger, busier — and even more pocket-friendly for parents

One of the biggest additions for 2026 was a dedicated, completely free children’s area on the rear lawn of Chyvarhas Care Home.

The Lions recognised that for families, the cost of a day out can quickly mount up, so the aim was simple: create somewhere children could have an amazing time without parents constantly reaching for their wallets.

There were games, activities, entertainment, Annie the Unicorn, baby chicks and ducklings, and appearances from Bizzy the Lion, who handed out more than 850 free gifts to children.

The gifts, including dominoes, yo-yos, bubble wands, squishies and fidget spinners, were funded by Callington Lions and Samworth Brothers.

The area also hosted a youth talent stage, featuring storytelling, junior comedy, singing and acrobatics. The Bad Stereotypes from Callington Youth Project Group brought their own brand of entertainment, with Tavistock Lions kindly lending a gazebo to help make it all happen.

Samworth Brothers also joined the fun, helping children and adults try their hand at pasty crimping in the Scout Hut.

And then there was Callie.

When Lenny the Lion returned from holiday, he brought his cousin with him — but she didn't have a name.

So Bizzy took votes from the children, and with 45% of all votes, CALLIE was the clear winner.

Callie is now a permanent member of the Callington Lions team, arriving at exactly the right time to help Lenny deal with the seemingly endless requests for photographs, cuddles and high fives.

After a very busy day of dancing around the town square, both lions were eventually last seen heading off towards their den for the night — presumably to sleep like lions.

Bacon. Lots of bacon.

Honey Fair would not be Honey Fair without food, and the Lions’ kitchen team certainly had their work cut out.

The bacon bap proved so popular that the team sold out twice, eventually clearing the shelves of B&M’s local bread rolls simply to keep up with demand.

Around 20kg of bacon was consumed, while the kitchen team eventually lost count of the number of cups of tea and coffee served.

Meanwhile, Teas with the Bees provided another much-loved stop for visitors throughout the day.

A new home for the Main Stage

The Main Stage was moved to St Mary’s Square this year, giving audiences a much better view of the performances and helping create a real centrepiece for the town.

The entertainment opened with Callington Town Band, followed by Johnny Minshull, The METS, the Town Criers, Rock Choir and Andrew Dinner, before The Sultans brought the main stage programme to a close.

Lead Lion Paul Hackworth’s verdict was wonderfully brief:

“MAIN STAGE — FAULTLESS.”

Music, singing and the largest Town Criers competition in Cornwall

Inside the Town Hall, the Guest Stage was led by Elly Valdebouze of Vocal Footprint, with performances from The Songsters, Saltash U3A Ukulele Band and Copper Valley Primary.

Vocal Footprint brought its adult and children’s groups together for a spectacular sing-along, creating exactly the kind of community atmosphere Honey Fair is all about.

The Town Hall also hosted the largest Town Criers competition in the whole of Cornwall, bringing competitors and spectators together for another memorable part of the day.

Town Criers Lead Stentiford said:

“I’ve been involved in Honey Fair for decades and this year has been the best one ever. I have spoken to many of the stall holders and visitors who have all said the same. Congratulations Callington Lions in their Jubilee year.”

Bees, art, windows — and a new Lion

The Cornwall Bee Keepers Association (CBKA) brought a live working hive and a range of fascinating exhibits to Honey Fair.

There were eight winners across the competition categories, with President Hayley Patton presenting trophies, including the Callington Lions Terry Burnard Shield, awarded in memory of a much-loved past Lion.

At the end of the day, CBKA thanked the President and the Lions and described 2026 as the most enjoyable Honey Fair they had ever attended.

The town’s businesses and organisations also embraced this year’s window competition, with the theme:

“Your window, your way — but it must include a Lion.”

The aim was to keep decorating costs down so that as many businesses and organisations as possible could take part.

Callington Lions’ youngest member, 18-year-old Lexi Cartwright, professionally led the judges around the town, taking notes as they assessed the entries. The judging team included long-standing Lions from Looe and Launceston.

After a well-earned cuppa and bacon bap, the judges reached their decision.

1st — Proper Jobs

Their window featured bees, little beehives, bee and honey-themed jokes and facts, a sleeping Lion amongst the flowers and the message “BEE NICE!”

2nd — Framing Crafty

An interactive window featuring Lions, bees, honey and the club’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

3rd — Callington Methodist Church

A clever use of Lyle’s Golden Syrup to create a Lion, displayed on a small free-standing board and making excellent use of a limited space.

The school art competition was equally impressive, with hundreds of pieces of children’s artwork filling the stage and rear foyer of the Town Hall.

Local business owner Jenny Cawse and local artist Nikki Harris helped select the category winners.

The overall school results were:

1st — Stoke Climsland Primary
2nd — Copper Valley Primary
3rd — Callington Primary

Congratulations to every child who took part.

A day for everyone

Honey Fair brought together local businesses, community groups, performers, children, families, visitors and Lions from across the area.

Vicki Brett of Dogbodies said:

“A wonderful day full of fun, learning and bringing the community together. Congratulations — a day for everyone to be proud of.”

Keighley Domini of Callington Pre-Loved said:

“Thank you Hayley and all the Callington Lions, you put on a great Honey Fair.”

Six visiting Lions Clubs — Looe, Launceston, Tavistock, Torpoint & Rame, Okehampton and Saltash — came to support the event, helping to man gates and keep visitors safe.

Alongside them were 18 Callington Lions, who had taken responsibility for organising and delivering Honey Fair itself.

And that, perhaps more than anything, is what made this year’s event so special.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT — HAYLEY PATTON

Honey Fair’s success cannot simply be measured in visitor numbers, sold-out stalls, bacon baps or records broken. For me, it’s also about watching our Lions grow.

Last year, Storm Amy took Honey Fair away from us. That meant that when we began planning this year’s event, more than half of our team had never delivered a full Honey Fair before.

That could have been daunting. Instead, they embraced it with a “bring it on” attitude.

We gave members responsibility for their own areas and trusted them to lead. We watched them make decisions, solve problems, come up with ideas and, importantly, put their own personalities, craziness and flair into what they were doing.

They stopped simply being people helping with Honey Fair.

They became Lead Lions in their own right.

From our youngest member at just 18 to our eldest — whose age I am far too polite to ask — I watched confidence grow throughout the months of planning and preparation.

And then I watched them deliver.

They did it with determination, humour, resilience and an incredible amount of teamwork.

Lions International has a simple motto: WE SERVE.

At Callington Lions, we have a philosophy of our own:

“It doesn’t take much to make someone smile.”

This extraordinary team certainly did that.

They made children smile. Parents smile. Visitors smile. Traders smile. And, community groups smile.

And, perhaps most importantly, they made each other smile.

I could not be prouder of them.

Honey Fair is not about making money. It is our way of giving something back to the community that supports Callington Lions throughout the year.

It is about bringing people together.

It is about creating something that belongs to the whole town.

It is about unity, community and giving people a day to enjoy together.

This year, our team and Callington did exactly that.

And, after the planning, preparation and the day itself, the team were unanimous about one thing the following day -  they were, quite simply, unable to move.

But one thing that was also NOT moving, was the smiles on their faces.

There is a saying that a sleeping lion represents untapped potential, hidden capability or strength that has not yet been shown.

But these Callington Lions are sleeping no more.

They are out.

They are awake.

And they are ready for more.

And after Honey Fair 2026, one thing is certain:

Callington Lions do it their way — and they do it with PRIDE!, as a PRIDE!