Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival |
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| Dates | May |
| Location(s) | Cowbridge |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founders | Cowbridge Charter Trust |
| Attendance | 15,000 |
The Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival is a super fun yearly event that happens in Cowbridge, a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It's a big celebration of all kinds of yummy food and drinks!
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About the Festival
This exciting festival usually takes place during the May Bank Holiday weekend. Lots of people, sometimes as many as 15,000, come to visit! There's a small fee to get in, which helps make the festival even better.
What You Can See and Do
You'll find tons of different stalls, live cooking shows, and cool things to see and do every day. The main food stalls are set up at the Arthur John carpark. There are more than 80 different businesses showing off their food and drinks. Past festivals have even had special places for oysters and sparkling drinks!
Besides food, there's also a Craft Fayre. Here, you can find beautiful handmade items like jewelry and things for your home.
Fun for Kids
The festival makes sure there's plenty for younger visitors too! At The Old Hall Gardens, kids can enjoy magic shows, get their faces painted, and even go on treasure hunts. It's a great place for families to have fun together.
Learning at the Festival
The Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival isn't just about eating; it's also about learning!
Healthy Eating and Cooking Tips
In 2016, the festival started a special program. This program focused on showing people how to cook healthy meals. It also taught them how to make tasty food without spending too much money. These demonstrations were very popular.
Exploring Welsh Food History
In 2017, the festival had a cool project called "Forgotten Foods." This project looked into the old traditions and history of Welsh cuisine. People learned about classic Welsh recipes like Welsh cakes, bara brith, Welsh rabbit, and cawl. Professional chefs showed how to make these dishes. This helped everyone understand the history behind Wales's traditional foods.
At The Old Hall Gardens, two local food experts, known as The History Chefs, gave a special "taste tour." They explored how people used to make food a long time ago. They showed how to use ingredients found in nature or grown at home. This included items from exhibitors like Tast Natur and Herbs in Wales.
Helping Others
The festival also does great work to help the community.
Supporting Charities
In 2017, the festival helped raise money for Tŷ Hafan. This is a charity that supports children with life-limiting conditions. They had a special sculpture of a Snow Puppy made from canvas. Young people could finger-paint on it with different colors. This event was part of a bigger art project called "Snowdogs: Tails in Wales trail." This project was a team effort between Tŷ Hafan and Wild in Art. Painted Snow Dogs were placed in different spots around Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Cowbridge Puppy was later sold at an auction to raise even more money for Tŷ Hafan.
Community Fridge Project
The festival also helped set up the very first community fridge in South Wales. This fridge is a place where people can leave extra food they don't need. Then, others who might need it can pick it up. This helps reduce food waste and supports the community. The fridge is located at Cathays Community Centre in Cardiff.
How the Festival Started
The Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival began in 2004. It was started by the Cowbridge Charter Trust. This group is a registered charity. They created the festival as part of celebrations for Cowbridge's 750th anniversary. The Trust itself was formed in 2003. It celebrated 750 years since Cowbridge received its first ancient borough charter. This special document was granted on March 13, 1254, by Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester. He was also the Lord of Glamorgan at the time. Today, a private company helps run the festival.
