Local Events

The biggest spectacles on the Cartmel events calendar are race days and weekends at Cartmel Racecourse when up to 20,000 people have been known to hit the village to enjoy a great day out for all the family. The race season starts in May and runs through to the August bank holiday with nine race days typically featuring on the calendar. Make sure you book your places to stay in and around Cartmel well in advance!

Cartmel Racecourse also holds the annual Cartmel Show laid on each year by the Cartmel Agricultural Society. Dating back to 1872, the Show features everything from terrier racing and traditional Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling to food and drink demonstrations and even a horse-mounted fancy dress competition.

As well as being home to Skydive Northwest, Cark Airfield also plays host to the Cumbria Steam Gathering over the last weekend in July. Expect to see a colourful (and pretty noisy) meeting of vintage vehicles and steam engines, demonstrations of historic skills from ploughing to woodturning, delicious local food and drink, and lots of entertainment for the whole family. A great day out.

During the summer, the Cartmel Food Market is held in the village every third Friday of the month in Devonshire Square beside the front gates of the Priory. For a village known worldwide for the quality of its food and drink, expect lots of locally produced goodies; from fresh fish and meats to sweet treats.

In conjunction with the Cartmel Priory and the Cartmel traders, Cartmel Village Society will be planning a large village party in 2022 based around William Marshall, the founder of Cartmel Priory. Watch this space for more details.

Cartmel Village Society also support a number of local village events throughout the year including the annual ‘Christmas in Cartmel’ celebrations.

Outside of the village itself, Holker Hall & Gardens (pronounced ‘Hooker’ by the locals) hosts a number of events throughout the year including a Spring Fair, Autumn Chilli Fest, and Winter Markets plus live family outdoor theatre events in the summer months.

In nearby Grange-over-Sands, the sweeping promenade comes alive in spring and summer with vibrant displays of individual, original artwork and talented folk selling artisan crafts. The aptly named ‘Prom Art’ usually takes place on the last Sunday of every month between April and September. Expect to see up to 70 stalls lining the promenade, varied craft demonstrations taking place, and even some live music performances.

The market town of Ulverston also holds a number of events throughout the year including Printfest, Another Fine Fest, the Lantern Festival, and the Dickensian Festival. For more information, visit https://www.chooseulverston.co.uk/category/annual-festivals.