This nationally acclaimed festival in New Alresford, Hampshire, draws together the local community and food lovers from far and wide for a FREE day of food and fun to celebrate the local watercress!
The street cavalcade gets things going at 10.00 am, led by the Watercress King and Queen from The Globe Public House, up Broad Street. Entertainers and children will accompany the newly crowned King and Queen, who will distribute the first of the season's watercress harvest to visitors. With a street market, food and drinks stalls, cookery demonstrations and more, along with the not-to-be-missed Watercress Eating Championships, which take place at 3 pm.
Alresford’s very own restaurants, pubs, butchers, tearooms, cafés, wine merchants, and market traders are proud to showcase their products to festival goers, along with a huge Hampshire Farmers’ Market providing the highest quality ‘local food for local people’.
Taking place on the third Sunday in May, this is a must for your what's on in Hampshire diary.
The festival opens at 10:00 and closes at 16:00, with the streets of New Alresford being returned to normal within a few hours.
| Watercress Festival (17 May 2026) |
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* Free to visit
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