Bolton Food and Drink Festival: four free-entry days

Name: Bolton Food and Drink Festival
Start: 2026-08-28
End: 2026-08-31
Location: Bolton town centre

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-18 15:08 3 min read

A food vendor wearing black gloves serves stir-fried chicken from a large paella pan.

Bolton Food and Drink Festival returns from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August 2026, bringing hundreds of food, drink, craft and gift traders to Bolton town centre. Entry is free, the event is open to the public, and families are among the audiences expected across the four days.

Bolton Council says the programme will combine international street food, independent producers, drinks specialists and handmade goods. Family-friendly activities are also planned, while the Arts Circle exhibition and sale will return to Le Mans Crescent.

Four days of food from around the world

The savoury line-up ranges from Greek gyros and Turkish shawarma to Thai street food, Portuguese pastries, Italian pasta, Caribbean dishes and Indian curries. That variety should make the festival particularly useful for groups wanting to try several cuisines during the same town-centre visit.

Named traders include Greek Street Food by the Malaka Brothers, Istanbul’s Kitchen and Thai 2 Go. Happy Dumpling 365 and Dobra Kitchen are also due to serve visitors.

Dessert choices are set to include Fifi’s Cheesecakes, Nutella House, Choc-O-Licious, Love Crepes and Pit Stop Donut King. Several artisan fudge makers are expected too, although the wider trader line-up is still being finalised.

Artisan produce, drinks and handmade gifts

The festival extends beyond ready-to-eat street food. Independent producers will offer locally produced honey, handmade cheeses, artisan bread, specialist sauces and gourmet preserves, giving visitors the option to shop for food to take home as well as dishes to eat at the event.

Bright Meadows Honey, Great British Cheese Co, Handcrafted Bread Co, Wiltshire Chilli Farm and Heritage Kitchen are among the confirmed names. Drinks traders include Northern Shakers, Salford Rum Company, Mountain Mead, Coole Swan and Retro Shots.

Visitors can also browse jewellery, bags, woodwork and other handmade items. Daisy Louise Jewellery, Grace Alexandra Jewellery, Karousell Bags and Ruslyn Wood Creations are listed among the craft and gift traders. On Le Mans Crescent, the returning Arts Circle will provide a separate art exhibition and sale within the wider festival visit.

Useful details for planning a visit

Dates: Friday 28 to Monday 31 August 2026
Location: Bolton town centre, including the Arts Circle exhibition on Le Mans Crescent
Entry: Free and open to the public
Audience: General visitors and families
Organiser: Bolton Council

The council announcement does not give daily opening times or detailed transport and accessibility information. Anyone who needs those details before travelling should check the latest information from Bolton Council, particularly as the trader list and additional attractions may continue to change while organisers complete the programme.

Debbie Newall, Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, said the hundreds of stalls would provide choices for different tastes and budgets and encouraged families to attend. The council’s festival announcement remains the official source for updates ahead of 28 August.

Source: Bolton Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This preview is based on Bolton Council’s published announcement and retains its confirmed details and stated gaps.

Checks

The festival dates were matched to the council announcement.
The town-centre location and Le Mans Crescent exhibition were confirmed.
Named food, drink, produce and craft traders were checked against the published line-up.
Daily opening times, detailed transport guidance and accessibility information were not su...

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