First-ever Haigh Hall Food Festival comes to Wigan this weekend

A new food festival is taking place at Haigh Woodland Park this weekend, with dozens of traders, an artisan market and entertainment spread across Saturday and Sunday.

The first Haigh Hall Food Festival is being held on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, with free entry. The main attraction is the food, with street food traders serving a wide range of dishes alongside more than 50 artisan food, drink and craft stalls.

You can expect everything from brisket, pasties and hog roast to African dishes, Korean corn dogs, gyros, pizza, Mexican food, curry and doughnuts. There will also be a programme of entertainment running throughout the weekend, including live music and tribute acts on the main stage.

One of the more unusual events is the League of Fire Chilli Eating Contest, which will be held on both Saturday and Sunday and will see competitors attempting to make their way through increasingly hot chillies. Families are also being catered for, with shows and activities taking place in the park’s amphitheatre, including circus performances, balloon modelling and children’s Fun and Phonics sessions.

Quick run down of what’s happening over the weekend: 

• More than 50 artisan food, drink and craft stalls
• Street food from around 20 traders
• League of Fire chilli-eating contests
• Avril Lavigne and Ed Sheeran tribute acts
• Live music and DJs
• Circus shows and balloon modelling
• Children’s entertainment

The food line-up includes some familiar local names as well as traders offering food from further afield. Carrs Pasties will be there alongside Brisket Shack, Cheeky Swine hog roast, Chefsey Africana, Just Gyros, Lorenzo’s Pizza, Meksikan, The Little Curry Pot and a Korean corn dog stall.

Plus, the land train will be running too.