Chesterfield Market is gearing up for its most vibrant summer yet, with a fantastic selection of events – including the return of some guaranteed crowd-pleasers and brand‑new events for residents and visitors to experience.
The events programme for this summer includes family-friendly events, food festivals, and community celebrations. From June until September – you can expect to find something happening most weeks.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “It’s set to be an incredible summer at Chesterfield Market this year, we’ve worked hard to book a wide range of events that will help bring our community together in our revitalised market. I hope to see lots of people coming along to experience these events and support our fantastic independent traders.”
The events programme is being delivered by Chesterfield Borough Council and partially funded through the Government’s Pride in Place programme.
Dominic Staniforth, local business leader and Chair of Chesterfield Town Board, said: “Our engagement with residents has shown that hosting more events in the town centre was a high priority for lots of local people and therefore we decided it was crucial that we provided funding for the town’s events programme over the next two years. These will be fantastic days for our town centre, and I look forward to seeing lots of people coming into the town to experience these events.”
The summer events will start with Chesterfield Food Festival on Sunday 7 June. Organised by Mad Hatters Events, it will be open from 10am to 4pm, you’ll be able to sample everything from gourmet street food and international cuisine to sweet treats and speciality beverages. It will also feature live music and entertainment throughout the day, alongside family-friendly activities.
Chesterfield International Market will return from 19 June to 21 June. Organised by Market Place Europe, who will be bringing a world of flavour and culture to the heart of Chesterfield. Expect to find food from across the world along with stalls selling unique crafts.
Peddler Market will also be back in Chesterfield on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June. You’ll be able to find a fantastic selection of street food, craft drinks and some unique independent traders along with live music. The Peddler team will also be back in Chesterfield on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August.
Both Peddler Markets will run alongside the general market on Saturdays and Chesterfield Artisan Market on Sundays. The June event also coincides with the BRM Chesterfield Festival of Cricket.
The Chesterfield Steampunk Market weekend will be on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July. Organised in partnership with Newark Steampunk Society, it will feature an extraordinary array of stalls offering handcrafted creations, clothing, accessories, artwork, curiosities, and retro futuristic inventions. There will also be live music and a parade on Sunday.
The Great Chesterfield Feast is on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August, delivered by LSD Promotions, the festival will feature global flavours, sweet treats, craft drinks and unique handmade goods.
Emergency Services Day is on Saturday 15 August, this action‑packed day will celebrate the incredible work of our local and national emergency services, with hands‑on activities, demonstrations, and plenty to discover for all ages.
On Saturday 22 August, Chesterfield will be transported to the savannah as life-size realistic puppets ‘go-wild’ in the main market square.
Taking place from 10am to 4pm the Chesterfield on Safari event will be a great day out for families featuring a mix of entertaining shows, walkabout performances and meet and greets across the Market. The animatronic animals set to appear includes a lion, orangutan, baby hippo, baby rhino and baby apes.
There will also be recurring events with the Royal Legion Bikers visiting to show their bikes on 27 June, 25 July and 29 August. Local musicians will also be performing live in the Market on 25 July and 8 August.
Speciality Sundays will continue with the Chesterfield Record Fair on the second Sunday of each month and Chesterfield Artisan Market on the last Sunday of each month.
Pride in Place will see almost £20 million invested in the town over the next decade. All decisions about how this funding will be spent is determined by the independent Chesterfield Town Board and is being shaped by local people through engagement.
You can find out more about festivals and events happening in Chesterfield at: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/events
