Special Events: Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre

2009 Special Events
There's always something on at the Heritage Centre!
The Fairground Heritage Centre has a reputation for offering special events throughout the year designed to compliment the permanent exhibitions on site. Occasional enthusiast gatherings have now been bolstered by organ festivals, steam weekends and vintage road rallies. There will be special themed events throughout the season, in addition to which we are open from April to October, every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Come along and pay us a visit - it's a great day out for all the family.

Spring Fairground Weekend
Easter Weekend - Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday 10-13 April, from 10.30 daily.

Visiting Fair Organs, Engines in Steam, Fairground Transport, Special Exhibits, Photo displays, Models, Trade Stands.

Carnival of the Bizarre - featuring the Great Voltini
Saturday & Sunday 25-26 April, from 10.30 daily.

The Rodeo Switchback, trade stands, working rides, fairground models, etc.

Plus...

To celebrate the saving of the last travelleing Fairground Show by the Friends of the Fairground Heritage Trust.

The Tom Norman Show Booth (above) has now become part of the collection at the Fairground Heritage Museum and will form the centrepiece of the weekend. Up until the 1950s it showcased a bizarre array of performers,including Tommy "Twinkle Toes" Jacobsen ("The Armless Pianist"), Carmo "The Great Magician", Commander Ian Fraser and his WW2 Navy frogmen, Melissa "The India Rubber Lady", Madam Labonne "The Bearded Lady" and Jo Josephine, reputed to be "Half Man Half Woman".

One of the most interesting to appear in the Booth was Doctor Walford Bodie (left), the "Electric Wizard", who filled his stage with electrical apparatus, causing huge flashes, showers of sparks and general mayhem. His speciality was an electric chair that he told his audience he had bought from Sing Sing prison in America! Bodie wired himself up as he recounted tales of the many villains who had been fried by "Old Sparky", and with a flourish an assistant would throw the switch to energise the chair and the electricity would appear to course through him. To prove that the current was flowing, a rapier was used to produce trails of sparks from the headpiece, chair arms and footboards.
In the spirit of Walford Bodie a new Electrical Wizard has emerged. Step forward The Great Voltini (right), who will be appearing at the Fairground Museum during the Carnival of the Bizarre, performing the same feats of electrical trickery. Something surely not to be missed!

South West Organ Festival
May Day Bank Holiday Weekend - Saturday, Sunday & Monday 2 - 4 May, from 10.30 daily.

Visiting Fair Organs. Special appearance (on Bank Holiday Monday only) of the Kelders family's organs "Victory" and "Locomotion", direct from Holland and making their only local appearance. Click here for more detail.

Stationery Engine Rally
Sunday 18 May from 10.30.

Fathers' Day Steam Up
Sunday 21 June from 10.30.

Engines in steam, with footplate visits, engine rides, etc.

Fairground Transport Weekend
Saturday & Sunday 12-13 September from 10.30 daily.

Vintage Fairground Transport Rally, Road Run, Special Exhibits, Photo displays, Models, Trade Stands.

Fairground Weekend
Saturday & Sunday 26-27 September from 10.30 daily.

Visiting Fair Organs, Engines in Steam, Fairground Transport, Special Exhibits, Photo displays, Models, Trade Stands.

Details of further events will be announced in due course.

Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre... experience a step back in time