Mauchline’s famous Holy Fair returns to the town this weekend, for the first time since Covid called a halt to the event.

The annual Holy Fair has been cancelled for the last two years because of the pandemic, but it was announced back in February that it would be returning this year, and it is expected to amass between 10-15,000 people throughout the entirety of the day.

The Holy Fair holds a special place in Mauchline’s history, with some historians claiming that Robert Burns attended a version of the event in the 1700s.

READ MORE: Mauchline roadworks to deal with busy Holy Fair

In recent times, it has become a focal point of the year for the people of Mauchline and the surrounding areas.

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Mauchline, to take in the entirely self-funded fair.

The fundraising team, work tirelessly to raise the £25,000 it costs in these modern times to stage this event.

On the day entertainment includes: three music stages; vintage vehicles; funfair; 60+ stalls; kids art competition; circus performers; Burns poetry and music and food vendors.

On-the-day programme editor, Jack Lynch, said he is immensely proud of the hard work that has gone into this year’s event, and he hopes it will all be worth it, come Saturday.

He said: “There have been a lot of people doing a lot of hard work for a good wee while now, and we all just hope that it will all be worth it.

“We know how much Mauchline loves this event, but it reaches much wider than that.

“I’ve had people messaging from the likes of Perth and Dundee to ask about the event, that’s how famous it gets.

“I must say, all of the planning has to well so far, touch wood. The only small disappointment we’ve had is that the model railway we had booked can’t make it because of a lack of volunteers.

“That seems to be the story of 2022 almost, but we’ll batter in and have a great day.

“We spoke to the council and they said they expect somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 thousand people to attend throughout the day, with people coming and going, and people coming from other areas.

“We’ve also had a lot of support to get this event running, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of a lot of people.

“We’ve got a last meeting on Friday night and we all just can’t wait now.”

The event will run from 11am until 5.30pm on Saturday (May 28), with stalls situated across Mauchline and stages set close to Beechgrove Road.

More information and regular updates can be found on the Mauchline Holy Fair Facebook page. See next week’s Chronicle for a full report and pictures.