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Bo'ness Children's Fair

27 Jan 2009
  • Bo'ness Fair is by far the biggest annual event in the town's calendar
This year's Bo'ness Fair will be held on Friday 26th June - a day which remains the biggest event in the town's calendar, many hundreds of years from its beginnings as a festival organised by miners.

The festivities will get under way on Sunday 21st June with the Kirkin' of the Queen at Bo'ness Old Kirk, just one of the traditions which make up this, the biggest and longest-established event of its kind in Scotland.

The Fair has a long and illustrious history, dating from the 18th century when miners staged the Fair on their only holiday of the year, with a festival that included a parage along the streets, to the houses of local mine owners, and then on to the banks of the Forth, where horse races were held on the shore during the afternoon.

Even in the early days the Fair attracted visitors to the town from far and wide, including Scotland's bard, Robert Burns.

The modern history of the Fair began in 1894, and it has been held every year since, apart from during the First and Second World Wars, and during the industrial depressions of 1921 and 1926.

The huge decorative arches at the homes of the queen and her court, the large procession of bands and colourful floats all help to make Bo'ness Fair a truly special day. The Fair even has its own songs, including 'Our Festal Day', which has a special place in the hearts of Bo'ness people everywhere.

So when this year's queen is crowned, she will take her place in a long history, and one of which the people of Bo'ness can be proud.

Now it's your turn. Share your memories, stories and photos of Bo'ness Fair in years gone by, and help contribute to the story of the biggest day of the year in Bo'ness.

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