The Crickhowell Food Festival on Saturday 28 June was so successful in drawing a big crowd that stallholders were asked to continue trading for an extra hour, with many selling out before the finish.

The Food Festival was part of a new event, the Crickhowell Makers Fayre, a weekend-long celebration of local food and drink producers and artisan crafts.

Organiser Andrew Powell, who runs the successful Brecon Beacons Food Festival in Brecon every October, said he was delighted by Saturday’s turnout. “There was a real buzz in town. You could see everyone was really enjoying themselves, and it was great having some live music too.

“We’d originally set the finish time for 4pm, but the marquee was still packed by then, so we asked stallholders to stay on so we didn’t disappoint anyone. Visitors were still buying right up to 5pm – and later in some cases. Better still, after they’d explored the stalls, market and all the town’s independent businesses, many of the visitors stayed on for a drink and a meal at one the town’s cafes or pubs, so the benefits went beyond the High Street.

“We certainly had plenty of people – visitors, stallholders and local businesses – saying it was a great idea, and asking when the next one would be.”

Sunday’s Artisan Craft Market also saw brisk trade, with organiser Emma Bevan-Henderson of Artisan Events Wales saying visitors and stallholders alike were “delighted” with the event. “The day went brilliantly, with really good footfall, so the stallholders were all very happy. And the visitors loved it, too. Like Andrew, everyone I spoke to said they’d love for this event to run again.”

“It was great that this first event went so well,” said Andrew. “But we’ve had some really good suggestions for ways to improve it. We’ll be collecting feedback for a full debrief, so we can make the next one even better and involve even more of the town’s businesses and community groups. You can’t always please everyone, but we’ll certainly try!

“We’re also very grateful to our sponsors, Bwyd Powys Food (the sustainable food partnership for Powys), Crickhowell Town Council, Castell Howell and Welsh Country Magazine. We couldn’t have done it without them, or the small band of volunteers who helped ensure the weekend ran smoothly.

“We’re hoping to make the Crickhowell Makers Fayre an annual event, held on the last weekend in June. So for 2026, we’re looking at 27-28 June: save the date!”

Bwyd Powys Food coordinator Chloe Masefield said: “Community events like these are really important reminder of the central role food and local food producers play in our lives: food is a powerful connector and so much more than just fuel for our bodies. Making and sharing local food brings people together and helps builds the local food economy, and that helps to create a good food system for everyone in Powys.”

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