Bodmin closes Fore Street for a day of local food and drink

Fore Street in Bodmin falls quiet for cars and busy for something else entirely on Saturday 17 October. For one day the town’s main shopping street shuts to traffic completely, cleared for people to wander at their own pace between stalls, tents and the smell of whatever is on the griddle.

Over 70 traders, one closed-off street

The event is eat:Bodmin, a one-day food and drink festival that takes over the full length of Fore Street once it is closed to vehicles for the day. The idea is a relaxed space where people can walk freely between stalls rather than dodging traffic or squeezing along a narrow pavement.

It is free to attend and built to be family-friendly and accessible to all. More than 70 food and drink makers are expected, most of them from within a 30 mile radius of Bodmin. Expect local bakers, deli favourites, farmers, brewers, orchardists and roasters, alongside treat food and street food stalls. There is a wide range for different diets too, with gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and alcohol free options running throughout.

What else is on

Alongside the stalls there is entertainment and activities to join in with, aimed at giving the whole family something to do rather than just something to buy. Organisers describe it as a day out that is accessible, inclusive and inspiring, as much a chance to meet friends and wander as it is to shop. Their advice for anyone who wants first pick of the produce, or a bit more elbow room to browse, is simple: get there early.

The team behind it

eat:Festivals is the not-for-profit social enterprise organising the day. It describes its aim as connecting communities with the productive landscape around them, in a way that benefits local businesses, food producers and families alike. Keeping the cost of a pitch low for producers is part of that approach, so the money spent on the day flows straight back into local businesses and the communities they are part of.

Fancy a stall of your own?

eat:Festivals is still taking applications from traders who want a pitch at eat:Bodmin or one of its other events. Producers interested can head to eat:Festivals’ apply page to check current availability and read more about how the festivals are run.

Fore Street stays closed for the day, and the stalls stay up until the last of the produce is packed away.