Hampshire Accommodation

The spectacular Kite Festival in Southsea Portsmouth is not to be missed
Markets are popular in Hampshire's towns and villages
Markets are held alongside modern shopping centres in Basingstoke
Local and farmers' markets are excellent for picking up locally grown produce
Winchester Cathedral is a fantastic venue for the Christmas market and ice rink
The Isle of Wight has excellent summer music festivals & Cowes Week
Markets are regular features of shopping in Southampton
Portsmouth International Kite Festival on summer Bank Holiday weekend

Hampshire Markets Farmers Markets Music Festivals Isle of Wight Hampshire

Many of Hampshire's towns and villages have their roots back in time where royal charters were granted for them to hold weekly markets. As you travel around Hampshire you'll find many of these towns continue their weekly market tradition. In addition, there are regular Farmers Markets where you can find the best local and homemade produce from local farms and producers. Around Christmas time look out for special themed markets particularly in Winchester where you can find seasonal food, craft and gifts at the Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market. In this fantastic setting you can try your hand at ice skating on the rink in the cathedral's grounds.

For festivals Hampshire is particularly good for music festivals. The cream of the dance festivals in the UK is Bestival which is held on the Isle of Wight. It's a huge event where fancy dress is all part of the fun. The Isle of Wight Festival has been revived from its 1960s roots attracting chart bands past and present. For the friendliest festival in the country try Stokes Bay Festival. It's renowned as a peaceful and family friendly laid-back festival held at Lee-on-the-Solent on the Hampshire Coast.

Featured Hampshire Accommodation

Orchardcroft Hotel - Shanklin

Family friendly hotel in Shanklin with games room and swimming pool. Wedding & conference facilities. Pets accepted. Murder mystery, stag and hen weekends.

£36 to £50 Per person B&B

Winchester Farmers Markets

Markets are a regular feature of Winchester's event calendar. There's a twice-monthly Farmers Market on the second and last Sunday of the month. It attracts over 90 stall holders making it one of the largest in the country. Middle Brook Street and car park is the hub of the action with a huge array of locally produced food on offer from seafood from the Solent coast to free range locally reared and produced meats, dairy products as well as fresh and organic fruit and veg.

Winchester also hosts a busy weekly city market on Middle Brook Street. Everything from fruit and veg to crafts and clothing is on offer with the market running from every Wednesday through to Saturday.

Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market

A highlight of the winter season is the Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market. Set against the cathedral as a stunning backdrop the Christmas market consists of cosy log cabins and an outdoor ice rink below the cathedral gives it that real Christmassy feel.

There's a whole range of gift ideas from gourmet food to arts and crafts as well as a Food Court with speciality food chalets offering continental and British festive treats. Carol singing and Christmas music all add to the festive feel.

The market usually runs from end of November to mid December while the Ice-Rink is open from end of November to January from 10am-7.30pm (8.30pm on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays).

Check out the link right for more information of this year's Christmas market.

Southampton Markets

Bargate is the location for several markets held in Southampton's city centre.

Every Friday is the general market from 9am-5pm. Around 90 stalls offer all kinds of produce from fruit and veg, organic and local produce, food stalls from Europe - it's well worth a stroll down just see to see what's on offer.

Every Saturday in the month there's a different market at Bargate with the Arts and Design market on the first Saturday showcasing individually designed and original art work as well as new and vintage designer wear. Antiques and collectables are on the third Saturday of every month and farmers' markets are held on the second and fourth Saturdays. On Sundays it's the World Market with a wide range of goods from all over the world.

Southsea Shopping & Entertainment Portsmouth

The centre of Southsea is full of shopping, cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs. Southsea prides itself in offering a good range of independent boutiques and smaller high street stores rather than the usual generic town centres.

There are also regular markets and festivals - check out the link right for up-to-date events.

Fareham Shops Markets Tourist Information

Fareham is a traditional market town at the north of Portsmouth Harbour at the confluence of the River Wellington and the harbour. It lies between Southampton and Portsmouth. Traditionally local industries included the production of bricks, tiles and chimney pots using the clay soil underlying the area. Fareham red bricks were used in the construction of the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Today Fareham is a modern shopping centre with a good choice of shops in the town and in the indoor shopping centre with over 100 shops. The Georgian Street is the setting for a range of restaurants and cafe bars. In addition there is the new Market Quay shopping and leisure development with a five screen cinema, bars, leisure facilities and more shops. Fareham is also the place to go for open air markets. Every Monday a market of around fifty stalls takes place in West Street Precinct. West Street is also the location for the Farmers Market that takes place on the first Saturday of the month from 9am-2pm. Here you can choose from a huge range of locally grown and produced food items and crafts.

Fareham has a tourist information centre on the main street through the town. Here you can find out all about the local attractions, pick up a visitor guide and town map. The centre is open Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm. Sat 10am-4pm.

Tourist Information Centre, 84 West Street, Fareham, Hants PO16 0JJ. Tel: 01329 221342. Fax: 01329 282959. Email: farehamtic@tourismse.com

Stokes Bay Festival

One of the main events of the year near Lee-on-the-Solent is the Stokes Bay Festival. Formerly the Wickham Festival, it's a live music festival held over a four day weekend at the end of July.

It's renowned as the friendliest and safest festival in the country and is the biggest in Hampshire. It attracts a wide range of musicians from folk and blues artists and live festival veterans the Levellers and the Saw Doctors. There's a whole host of side shows including the Groovy Movie solar-powered cinema, theatre, storytelling, children's entertainers, street theatre, Punch and Judy, morris dancing, a traditional crafts fayre and exotic food fayre.

Camping is available alongside the Fesitval site with "posh wash" showers and toilet facilities. Alverstoke village nearby has a choice of shops, eateries and pub.

Check out the link right for this year's acts and more information on where you can buy tickets.

Isle of Wight Music Festival

The Isle of Wight Festival is a long standing music festival that has attracted artists from all over the world. It started in 1968 which showcased T-Rex and Marc Bolan with Bob Dylan, The Who and Joe Cocker in 1969 and Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Emerson Lake and Palmer in 1970. It was revived again in 2002 with Robert Plant headlining and attracting chart bands such as The Charlatans and Ash. Since then an eclectic mix of artists, popular past and present, have headlined the festival attracting thousands to the island each year.

The Isle of Wight Festival is usually held annually in June at Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight. The organisers have undertaken to make the event ecologically aware and sustainable.

Check the link right for current listings and further information on purchasing tickets and getting to the site.

Bestival Music Festival Isle of Wight

Another of the Isle of Wight's popular festivals is Bestival. It's a three day boutique festival which has been going since 2004 organised by leftfield DJ Rob da Bank.

Bestival is a green and politically aware festival that is renowned for its fancy dress audiences. It's usually held at Robin Hill Country Park to the south east of Newport.

Check out the entertaining website, link right, for up-to-date information on this year's Bestival and other events throughout the year.

Isle of Wight Jazz Festival

For jazz fans the Isle of Wight International Jazz Festival is a must. Established since 2005 a whole host of artists have taken part including Cleo Laine and Humphrey Lyttelton.

For tickets call 01983 856200.

Check the weblink right for up-to-date information on venues and artists attending the current festival.

New Forest and Hampshire County Show Brockenhurst

The New Forest and Hampshire County Show is held at New Park in Brockenhurst. It's regarded as one of the best agricultural and equestrian shows in the country. It is held over three days during the summer and incorporates traditional breeds, skills and vegetable and competitions, animal races, showjumptin, food and craft marquees, flower show and many more events that should keep the family occupied all day.

During the event there is free parking and a pay-as-you-go shuttle bus service from the Brockenhurst mainline station. The show attracts in the region of 90,000 visitors, so book accommodation early and prepare yourself for traffic congestion in the area while the show's on.

New Park is a historic park where red and fallow deer graze throughout the year. It is surrounded by ancient woodland and is often the site for a variety of events throughout the year such as caravan club rallies and regular polo matches for the New Forest Polo Club.

Check the link right for up-to-date information on this year's show and directions. The New Forest and Hampshire County Show, New Park, Brockenhurst SO42 7QH. Tel: 01590 622400. Email: info@newforestshow.co.uk

Cowes Week

Cowes Week is the biggest event in the yachting calendar and is the oldest annual sailing regatta in the world - running since 1826. It's exclusivity was sealed by the patronage of the Prince Regent and the royal family have continued to attend since.

Cowes Week takes place at the beginning of August and attracts around 100,000 spectators to the island. The eight day event includes a host of sailing competitions in which 1,000 boats take part. The social side of the event attracts royalty, celebrities and mariners from around the world attending a whole host of parties in the venues and restaurants in and around Cowes itself. The whole event has a fun festival atmosphere whether you're on the A-list or not.

The races are quite some spectacle to watch and you can book onto spectator boats to get the best view of the action. Check out the Cowes Week weblink right for more information. The best vantage point on land for the racing start lines is at Cowes Parade. It is also the central information point for Cowes Week and you can sign up for a free sailing taster session. Street entertainment, live music, a champagne seafood and oyster bar, the Sail for Gold bar and BBQ keep the crowds fed, watered and entertained. Cowes Yacht Haven is the social centre for the event where yachtsmen and spectators alike can mix amongst the champagne bar, beer tent and food court. There is also a range of retail outlets and of course live entertainment to add to the festival feel.

Racing enquiries are fielded by the Regatta Office at18 Bath Road, Cowes, behind the Bandstand on Cowes Parade. For participants and friends the Shepherds Wharf Marina is the hub for live screen coverage of the events, Crew Bar, live entertainment, restaurant and Infernos Crew Nightclub with themed club nights. The whole event culminates in a fantastic firework display with an amazing display over the water.

Portsmouth Kite Festival Southsea Seafront Family Attractions

Between central Southsea and the seafront is Southsea Common where a range of events are hosted throughout the year.

One of the most spectacular has to the Portsmouth International Kite Festival held annually at the end of August usually around the Bank Holiday weekend. It's a fantastic sight as hundreds of kites of all shapes and sizes take to the air. There are huge circular rotating kites and smaller animal shaped kites as well as stunt kites doing aerial acrobatics in the strong winds. There's pay and display parking around the Common and it s easily accessible by bus.

Between Southsea Castle and South Parade Pier is the Pyramids Centre is good for wet weather days. It's a leisure centre with toddler pool, tropical leisure pool, wave pool and cafe. Around the leisure centre are gardens and a skate park ideal for skateboarders, rollerbladers and BMX bikers. Check out the links right for opening times.

Featured Hampshire Accommodation

Orchardcroft Hotel - Shanklin

Family friendly hotel in Shanklin with games room and swimming pool. Wedding & conference facilities. Pets accepted. Murder mystery, stag and hen weekends.

£36 to £50 Per person B&B