For 2020 these will now be streamlined to a two-day event running from 9am-5pm on both the Friday and Saturday, with Sunday trading dropped.
Part of IACF fairs’ portfolio for the past 10 years, the first IACF Shepton Mallet run to the new timetable will be on Friday and Saturday, January 17-18, with early trade admission on the Friday between 9am-1pm.
Fresh model
IACF’s marketing manager Grant Nicholas said: “In order to ensure the longevity and success of this popular fair we are confident that this is the right decision.
“The model of Friday/Saturday works very well for our most recent success story, the biannual Peterborough Festival of Antiques, and we think it will work well at Shepton Mallet too.
“While the fair is predominantly aimed at the public, trade buyers do now feature quite prominently and many dealers were being put off by the difficult travel conditions on a Friday afternoon. It also meant an extra day away from home for stallholders, with all the attendant costs.”
Nicholas added: “We think that condensing the fair will make it a more economical venture for both buyers and stallholders.”
