High Winds Moved Stalls Off Egremont's Main Street as the Crab Fair Reached Its Gurning Night
Two unnamed celebrities were due to climb the greasy pole and pull faces through a horse collar at the Cumbrian fair on Saturday.
High winds stopped gazebos being erected on Main Street in Egremont, Cumbria, on 19 September 2026, forcing some pre-booked stalls at the town's Crab Fair to move indoors to the Egremont Conservative Club.
The fair, whose history is traced back 759 years, still ran the climbing of the greasy pole, the riding of the boundary and the parade of the apple cart on Main Street from 09:00, before the action moved to the fair field at Baybarrow Road from 12:45.
The World Gurning Championships, in which competitors pull the ugliest face they can through a horse collar, were scheduled for 19:00 to 22:30 at Egremont Market Hall. Organisers said two celebrities, not named in advance, would take part in the gurning and in the greasy pole climb.
Entry to the fair field cost 8 pounds, with concessions at 5 pounds. A new Kids Fest offered circus workshops, K-pop performances, character meet-and-greets and an obstacle course, alongside a hook-a-duck game run from a digger.
Friday's programme had included a wheelbarrow race at Calderwood House, with entries at 18:30 and a 19:00 start, a pipe smoking competition in Market Place at 19:30 and a darts tournament at the Egremont Catholic Club. A music event, CrabFest, ran through Saturday afternoon.