It’ll be full steam ahead up Pigeon Valley Rd in Wakefield on the fourth day of 2026.
Higgins Heritage Park’s Craft Fair and Steam Up is a down-to-earth, family-friendly event with all the historic and modern offerings expected from a village showground.
The park’s six groups, the Pigeon Valley Steam Museum, Historic Transport Museum Trust, Rover Car Club Nelson, Nelson Vintage Engine and Machinery Club, Army Group Centre, and The Ray Win Collection, are event contributors and will open their sheds to the public.
Craft stalls, tummy-filling food stalls, face painting, balloon twisties, Wakefield Volunteer Fire Brigade demonstrations, model trains, vintage machinery rides, and the main attraction - steam-powered machinery like the Fowler traction engine and scale model steam engines - make up the summer’s day in the country.
Ensuring it runs like a finely-tuned machine is park volunteer David Win with Mountain Valley Honey co-owner Sarah Goldsworthy, who has been an asset for pulling together the eclectic wood, jewellery, textile and pottery stallholders.
David says the event has had “a great atmosphere” in the eight years it’s been held, with hundreds of cars keeping traffic management on their toes, and 4000 to 5000 holidaymakers and staycationers through the gate.
“The prep is all go, and we’re looking forward to it now… we largely aim to make it a fun-filled day and relaxing,” he enthuses. “For the visitors to the region, many of them make a trip just to incorporate the day, along with the good weather of the district.”
The Craft Fair and Steam Up’s running time is 9am to 3pm on 4 January, and while entry is free, David says a koha (donation) is appreciated to support park maintenance costs.
