Other than being called off in 1646 on account of plague, and being put on hold for the duration of WW I & II, the Nottingham Goose Fair has been a fixture in the city of Nottingham for over seven hundred years. Back then, geese were a major component, as were high quality cheeses, spices, pottery, textiles, and other trade goods. The geese held dominance, however. With roast goose being a popular menu item for those who could afford it, hundreds of the unsuspecting fowl were herded into Nottingham from as far away as Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
The fair originally went on for eight days and was set up in the market square. Nowadays, it runs for five, and is located in the Forest Recreation Ground, as that area is better able to host the five hundred or so attractions connected to the modern version of the fair, which has kept the name, but not the geese.
