September Festival and Events Roundup

September - Hope for Summer's Last Hurrah

September is mild but noticeably cooler and slightly wetter than the summer months. Bring layers, a rain hat and an umbrella to cope with any eventuality. Mornings and evenings are quite cool and often surprisingly bright compared to the rest of the day. Though it rains - at least a little bit - one day out of three in England - more in Scotland and Wales - if you're lucky, you could be treated to a rare blast of Indian Summer.

Average September Climate

England:

• High - 64°F (17.5°C)
• Low - 49°F (9.3°C)
• Average daily hours of sunshine - 4.5
• Average monthly rainfall - 2.9" (73.4mm)

Scotland

• High - 57°F (14°C)
• Low - 45°F (7°C)
• Average daily hours of sunshine - 3.48
• Average monthly rainfall - 5.5" (140mm)

Wales

• High - 61°F (16°C)
• Low - 48°F (9°C)
• Average daily hours of sunshine - 4.19
• Average monthly rainfall - 4.9" (124mm)

September Daylight

Now days will be getting noticeably shorter. Compared to the 17 to 19 hours of daylight in July, expect about 12 1/2 to 12 3/4 between sunrise and sunset and between 13 1/2 to 15 hours of useable daylight. Toward the end of the the month, some attractions may reduce their opening hours, but for the most part, gardens and other attractions still operate summer schedules.

September Highlights

• Bestival
• Highland Games and gatherings

Music, Literature and The Arts

• Windsor Festival
• The Agatha Christie Festival
• Jane Austen Festival
• Open House London - Architecure and design
• The Wigtown Book Festival in Scotland.
• The Creetown Country Music Festival

Heritage Festivals

• Findon Sheep Fair
• The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
• Moreton-in-Marsh Country Show
• Newent Onion Fayre Centuries old Gloucestershire festival of everything oniony. Onion eating contest, onion competitions, hundreds of varieties of onions. Annually, Second Saturday in September.

Food and Drink

As Britain shakes off its dated reputation for bad food and celebrity chefs proliferate - on television, in the press, in restaurants and gastropubs - the food festival has become a mainstay of the tourism calendar in communities all over the country.

Ranging from an afternoon under a marquee to ten days in venues all over a county, the typical festival features:

• tastings
• sampling of restaurant dishes
• opportunities to buy local product and specialities
• discounts or events at local restaurants
• cooking demonstrations and master classes.

Here are some of the festivals on in September, 2008:

• East Lothian Food and Drink Festival, September 26-28
• Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival September 19-28 along the East Suffolk Coast with a two-day showcase at Snape Maltings, September 27-28.
• South Somerset Food Festival, September 27 to October 5. Foodie walks, tastings, cooking classes, a Spudfest and more.
• The Great British Cheese Festival, Cardiff Castle, September 27 and 28.
• The Nantwich Food & Drink Festival A showcase of the best of Cheshire that has become a standby of the national foodie circuit.
• The Scottish Food Fortnight September 6 to 21, with events, markets and fairs all over Scotland. It culminates with a grand finale at the Scottish Food Fest in Cochrane Park, Alva, between St. Andrews and Stirling.
• The Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival
• Alnwick Food Festival
• Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival
• Beer Festivals September is a superb month for anyone in search of a chance to sample hundreds of boutique and microbrewey beer and ales. There are beer festivals all over the country. CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale lists 27 different beer and ale festivals throughout the month. Find a beer festival along your route.

Sports

• The Great River Race
• Royal Windsor Racecourse, September Racing Meets
• National Carriage Driving Championships Mid September at Windsor Great Park
• The Burghley Horse Trials Major date the three-day eventing and world-class dressage calendar. Olympic class riders and teams usually compete in early September.
• Animal Windfest Wild beach and water sports in Poole, Dorset

Hobbies and Anoraks

• The Goodwood Revival Classic, pre-1966 motor cars compete for spectators dressed as classic pre-1966 guys and dolls, with classic pre-1966 booze and grub as well.
• British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch

Weird and Wonderful

• Egremont Crab Fair home of the World Championships of Gurning
• UK Air Guitar Championships A wild club night on the beach in Brighton
• The World Stone Skimming Championships