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Held annually on the third Sunday in May this nationally acclaimed food festival celebrates watercress - the superb locally grown, delicious and versatile crop and draws together the local community and food lovers from far and wide for a day of food and fun.
In Broad Street you will find a huge food market showcasing the very best from local food producers and award-winning chefs giving cookery demonstrations. A large festival market in West Street and Station Road features arts, crafts, jewellery and clothing, items for house and garden and much else besides. Many local charities and voluntary organisations will be providing an insight into Alresford's rich community life.
One of the main highlights of the festival is the street cavalcade with jazz musicians, Morris dancers and local school children accompanying the Watercress King and Queen atop a horse and cart distributing the first of the season's watercress harvest to festival goers.
Throughout the day, there are activities for children of all ages, including circus skills workshops, face painting, nail art, hair braiding, a magician, treasure trails, climbing wall and a petting farm. Everyone is sure to enjoy the delights of the many street entertainers and musicians.
The ever popular "World Watercress Eating Championships" challenges entrants to eat two bags of watercress in the fastest time and is open to all-comers aged 18 or over.
In the four weeks leading up to the festival local restaurants, cafés and pubs will be serving diners with their own authentic, imaginative and tasty watercress-based based dish for under £10 as they compete in the Eateries Awards. It could be a starter, main or even a dessert (yes, even a dessert!) using watercress as a major ingredient. The winner of each category is decided by the public and a panel of experts, so go along and cast your vote.
Tours can be prebooked around one of the local watercress farms and if you have time, you might also like to visit the medieval Soke Bridge at the bottom of Broad Street and Alresford's historical Fulling Mill and Eel House found on a short walk along the banks of the picturesque River Arle.
Finally, we look forward to meeting you and hope that you will be delighted with what the festival and the town of New Alresford have to offer, and that you have a thoroughly enjoyable day out.
