Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2025

This year we have expanded the fete to include Mells recreation ground where we'll be  raising much-needed funds for our basketball and tennis courts as well as to support our village choir.  Expect fete games, a bouncy castle (for the little ones), an inflatable assault course (for the older ones), sports challenges and a children's 5 a side match. As well as singing, The Mells Choir will be serving freshly made cream teas in the cricket pavilion and there will be more music from The Midsomer Norton and Coleford Silver Band.

Paying homage to this year's Field, Forest and Food theme,  we've turned the barn into a Woodland cafe where the Mells Nursery will be serving tea and cakes throughout the day, accompanied by an eclectic mix of live acoustic folk music and our guest storyteller, Sarah Mooney.

Carrying on the barn's woodland theme, the barn garden will be bursting with activity from the Mells Scouts as they raise money for new camping equipment by demonstrating some or their woodland skills (which you can join in on). There will also be face painting, axe throwing and much more. 

The Walled Garden, The Talbot Inn, our 15th Century coaching inn and our community owned Shop and Cafe will be open as usual.  All look forward to serving you!

The shop will be open 9am - 5pm.  The Post Office available for cash back.

The Mells Village Community Cafe will be offering bacon baps, cold filled baps, hot sausage rolls, home made cakes and bakes along with barista coffee.

The Walled Garden will be open this year  to provide a haven of peace and sacred space for quiet reflection, however with no demonstrators or stalls.  It will be serving cream teas, pizzas, coffee and tea.

The triangle of land opposite the Lutyens designed village bus stop, next to the Manor House, will be a central hub.   A place to explore and learn about some of this year's themes.

Hosting a variety of demonstrators from local projects covering soil and land, rivers and beaver management, this will be a small and informative area for children and adults alike to wander and learn.

Axford Green will also host the information tent, as well as a licensed bar.

Fabulous things for good causes

Our many stalls, all run by local makers to the benefit of local causes, will be rich with produce, plants, pottery and potential presents. Come to browse, come to buy, come to support. 

The Recreation Ground

This year we have expanded the fete to include Mells recreation ground where we'll be raising much-needed funds for our basketball and tennis courts as well as to support our village choir.   Fete games, a bouncy castle (for the little ones), an inflatable assault course (for the older ones), sports challenges and a children's 5 a side match. As well as singing, The Mells Choir will be serving freshly made cream teas in the cricket pavilion and there will be more music from The Midsomer Norton and Coleford Silver Band.

The Tythe Barn

Paying homage to this year's Field, Forest and Food theme,  we've turned the barn into a Woodland cafe where the Mells Nursery will be serving tea and cakes throughout the day, accompanied by an eclectic mix of live acoustic folk music and our guest storyteller, Sarah Mooney.

The Tythe Barn Garden

Carrying on the barn's woodland theme, the barn garden will be bursting with activity from the Mells Scouts as they raise money for new camping equipment by demonstrating some of their woodland skills (you can even join in!). There will also be face painting, axe throwing and much more. 

Tractor Rides will be running through out the day from the Searchlight Car Park (at the Mells Shop & Cafe end of the village)

See map above for all locations

12.00 FETE OPENS / Town Crier (Axford Green)

12.05 Patrick O Brien (Music) (at The Tythe Barn)

12.15 Somerset Morris Dancers (outside The Shop)

12.30 FIELDS TALK (in the Church)

12.30 Midsomer Norton & Radstock Silver Band (on the Rec)

12.30 5-a-side football (on the Rec)

12.45 The Crockatts (Beautiful Family Folk Music) (at The Tythe Barn)

1.15 Town Crier (Outside the Talbot)

1.15  Woodland Storyteller (Sarah Mooney) (in the Tythe Barn Garden)

1.15 Jenny Bliss (Medieval & Baroque Folk Music) (on the Rec )

1.30 Sheep race (in the  field)

1.30 Embraissance (Medieval Folk) (The Tythe Barn)

2.00 FOOD TALK (in the Church)

2.00 Cricket challenges (on the Rec tennis court)

2.00 Midsomer Norton & Radstock Silver Band (on the Rec)

2.15 Maythorne (Trad Folk) (in The Tythe Barn)

2.30 Somerset Morris Dancers (on the Rec)

3.00 Woodland Storyteller (Sarah Mooney) (in The Tythe Barn Garden)

3.10 The Mells Choir (on the  Rec)

3.25 Embraissance (Medieval Folk) (in the The Barn)

3.30 FOREST TALK  (in the Church)

3.45 Jenny Bliss (Medieval & Baroque Folk Music) (in The Tythe Barn Garden)

4.10 Maythorne (Traditional Folk) (on the Rec_

5.00 FETE CLOSES

Mells Fete is privately funded by local residents. The aim is to bring the village community together and allow both residents and local institutions to have fun and raise money by manning stalls and events.

The fete will be a localised fund-raising model: 

Any money raised by stallholders is kept by them. 

We have deliberately approached local residents and institutions first when offering stalls and we are keeping pitch prices low for non-commercial stallholders.

The fete will only receive money from the car parking fees and the pitch fees. 

If they make enough to pay back their funders, that would be a good outcome. Any excess will go into the bank account for next year. 

Hopefully this makes the Fete a financially sustainable event. 

Please bring your card/phone and cash. 

Car parking will be contactless only and although some stallholders will offer contactless payment, there will be others who are still using notes and coins. Apparently the future’s already arrived, it’s just not quite made its way out here yet.