Packed calendar of markets and street food events

Having seen unprecedented support for its 2022 series of Street Food events and seasonal markets in the High Street, the partnership between Stone Traders’ Group and Stone Food & Drink Festival team has even more events planned for 2023.

Over the course of the year, Stone High Street will host no less than nine themed ‘Sunday Series’ events and six Street Food sessions.

Spokesperson for Stone Traders Group, Ed Stant, said: “The events we ran in 2022 were a huge success – they really helped bring visitors into the High Street and bolstered town centre trade, so our members were keen that we run even more events in 2023.

“We are delighted that Stone Town Council have been so supportive of the programme we proposed and we look forward to seeing the town centre bustling regularly.”

Chairman of the Stone Food & Drink Festival, Richard Stevens, said: “It’s fantastic to be working on such a packed calendar of events with Stone Traders’ Group – our aim as a festival has always been to support the town and its traders, so it was great to see so much support for the markets and street food events last year. Stone High Street really comes alive when lined with market stalls – it has always been, after all, a market town, so alongside the council markets and the ever-popular Stone Farmers’ Market, these events should help keep visitors coming to Stone year-round.”

The first of the Sunday Series events is set to take place on April 16, with a ‘Spring Awakening Market’ featuring a good mix of craft, food and gift stalls.

On May 21 the ‘Four Wheel Fest’ will see a display of cars, tractors, buses and other vehicles, while on June 18 there will be a Cheese & Wine Festival.

In July rather than a Sunday market there will be a one-day Food & Drink Festival Edition Town Market on Saturday 15 to support the annual Stone Food & Drink Festival, which is taking place a shuttle bus ride from the town centre at Kibblestone Scout Camp over the weekend.

On Sunday, August 20 the town centre will play host to a Family Dance Festival; on

September 17 there will be a market focused on Eco Friendly and Sustainable stalls, and on October 15 the flavours of the season will be celebrated with a Sausage & Cider Festival. The series will round off with the return of the popular Christmas Markets on November 19 and December 20.

In addition to these events, the popular Stone Street Food event will return - lining the High Street with stalls offering a delicious range of globally-inspired treats. They will run from 3pm9pm in the High Street on Thursday, May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17, September 21 and October 19.

All these events are free to attend and jointly organised by Stone Traders’ Group and the Stone Food and Drink Festival; supported by Stone Town Council.