Away Day: Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival (6 miles/10 km - Leisurely, Booking Required)

This walk is for up to 25 people, including the leader.

Join us for a unique and unforgettable day trip to the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival in Cambridgeshire! This lively event celebrates Fenland traditions with a vibrant procession, folk music, dancing, and the famous "Straw Bear" – a person dressed in a costume made of straw.

The event starts with the Straw Bear(s) leading a parade into town at 10:30am, then continuing to meander around Whittlesey (yes, there are two spellings of the town’s name), with colourful teams putting on displays of Morris and Molly dancing throughout the day, culminating in an afternoon finale in the market place. The Straw Bear custom dates back to at least the mid 19th century and was revived in 1980. More information on the history and festival can be found at www.strawbear.org.uk 

The plan is to enjoy the dancing and festivities in town during the morning, then go for an optional walk after lunch to explore some of the nearby countryside, before returning for the dancing finale around 3pm.

Procession
The initial procession of the Straw Bear and dance groups is set to start at 10.30am. Based on last year’s event, this is likely to follow a short route from the Manor Leisure Centre, heading up Station Road towards Market Street and the marketplace (by the Buttercross and George Hotel). The town will be busy so if we don't manage to meet before the parade we'll find everyone afterwards. Feel free to explore the town and festival at your own leisure and meet the group at any point. There will be dance displays throughout the day in different locations plus other activites such as storytelling (and several pubs!)

Lunch
Various takeaway lunch options should be available (supermarkets, fish & chips, kebabs, Subway etc.) or bring a packed lunch to save on queuing.

Friday Night
For anyone wanting to make a weekend of it, things kick off with a ceilidh (barn dance) on Friday evening at the Whittlesey Indoor Bowls Complex. Details and tickets (£12) available on the Straw Bear website. The walk leader plans to attend!

Please note the walk and event are not suitable for dogs.

For information about walking with the group, including our dog policy, please visit the Stag Walkers website.

Booking your place: Please book your place using the free Meetup website/app. Join the Stag Walkers Meetup group and click the 'Attend' button on the event page.

Please do not turn up for a walk without booking, as places are limited.

If the walk is fully booked, please click 'join waitlist' then please check back regularly as you will likely get a place. The waitlist gives priority to single bookings so if you wish to bring a guest, we recommend booking separately.

Unless you opt in to further communications, we will only use contact information you provide to get in touch about the walk.