Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival – Friday 16th – Sunday 18th January 2026

Friday
The weekend kicks off with a ceilidh (barn dance) with music provided by Erin Brown, James Delarre & Barry Watson with caller Ollie Simons guiding you through the dances. Tickets are available from our shop.

Saturday
10:30-3:30
The Straw Bear will be back on our streets again in January. Starting with a procession, the Straw Bear will dance through the town accompanied by musicians, plough boys with the plough and followed by many dance teams to fill the streets with colour whatever the weather! There will be a storyteller in a local venue when you need a break from following the bear. This will be in the Methodist/URC Church, with sessions at 12 noon, 1 pm and 2pm, with Patrick Ryan. Admission operates on a first come first served basis.

Sunday
The Straw Bear is burning takes place on the Sunday. This is a public event and will be at the Decoy Lakes.