Puck Fair runs in Killorglin, County Kerry on 10 to 12 August every year, which makes the next festival 10 to 12 August 2027. If you are taking a trading pitch, this page is the practical checklist: securing a pitch, what to pack, the print that earns attention outdoors, weather planning, and a sensible routine for set-up and pack-down.

We have spent more than 20 years printing for Irish outdoor events, so the advice here is built around what actually survives three days on a busy street in Kerry. Confirm anything organiser-specific, including fees, trading rules and access times, directly with the Puck Fair committee before you commit.

When and where is the next Puck Fair?

Summary: Puck Fair is held in Killorglin, County Kerry on 10 to 12 August inclusive, every year, so the next edition falls on 10 to 12 August 2027. The dates do not move with the weekend, which makes forward planning unusually easy compared with most Irish festivals.

Puck Fair is one of Ireland's oldest fairs and takes its name from the male goat, or poc, that is crowned King Puck at the start of the three days. The cattle fair on the middle day is held under a Royal Charter granted in 1613, and the festival keeps the same three-day shape each year, as set out on the official Puck Fair website.

Day	Date	What happens	What it means for traders
Gathering Day	10 August	Coronation of King Puck, the parade and the horse fair	Early street activity and parade routes; plan set-up around them
Fair Day	11 August	The cattle fair, held under the 1613 Royal Charter	The central day of the fair; have full stock on the stall
Scattering Day	12 August	King Puck is dethroned; the festival closes with midnight fireworks	Late crowds, so agree pack-down timing with the organisers

Public opening hours, stage times and the full programme are published by the committee closer to the festival, and the town centre stays busy well into the evening across all three days. Treat the programme hours and your own trading hours as two different things: check the official information page for anything the committee has confirmed, and mark anything still unpublished as to be confirmed rather than assuming last year's pattern.

How do I book a stand at Puck Fair, and what will it include?

Summary: trading pitches are handled directly by the Puck Fair committee, and the official site currently states that there is a waiting list. You apply by email, then wait to be offered a pitch rather than booking online.

To apply, email the Puck Fair committee at [email protected] with the following, as requested on the official information page:

Your name and address
A contact phone number
The size of pitch you need, in metres
A short description of what you sell

Pitch fees are not published on the official site, and neither are stall dimensions, signage rules or application deadlines. We will not guess at figures here. Ask the committee for the fee, what it covers, whether a deposit applies and what the cancellation terms are, and get it in writing before you order anything printed. The committee can also be reached by phone on +353 66 976 2366.

At the same time, ask what the pitch actually includes and what you are expected to bring yourself. The usual questions worth putting in one email:

Exact pitch dimensions and location within the town
Whether any cover, table or frontage is provided
Electricity, lighting and whether generators are allowed
Waste disposal, water access and overnight security
Restrictions on food, alcohol, product categories, vehicles and the height or type of structure you can put up

Casual trading licence requirements are a separate matter from the pitch itself. Check with the organisers and with Kerry County Council what documentation you need before you travel. For display and branding ideas specific to the fair, our companion Puck Fair exhibitors guide covers stand layouts in more detail.

What should I bring for a successful Puck Fair stand?

Summary: pack for an outdoor street pitch with no storeroom behind you. Everything you need for three days has to arrive in the van, and anything you forget means a trip out of a crowded town centre.

Group	Pack list
Stock and packaging	Stock in sealed waterproof boxes, reusable bags, tissue or wrap, spare packaging, stock count sheet
Stand equipment	Trestle tables, printed tablecloths with clips or weights, shelving or risers, stock containers that slide under the table, groundsheet
Sales tools	Charged card reader, backup power bank, mobile data, cash float in small coin, lockable cash box or money belt, price labels, receipt book
Power and lighting	Extension leads and RCD where permitted, cable covers, battery lighting, chargers, spare batteries
Cleaning and waste	Bin bags, bins, cloths, hand sanitiser, brush, wet wipes
Emergency spares	Gaffer tape, cable ties, scissors, marker pens, string, spare bulbs, basic toolkit, first aid kit
Staff supplies	Water, food, waterproof jacket, layers, sunscreen, comfortable footwear, folding stools, written break rota

Two habits pay for themselves. Count your stock before you leave and again at the end of each day, so you know what has sold and what has walked. And keep high-value products either locked away or in direct line of sight of whoever is serving. Killorglin's streets are packed across the three days, and a stall with one person on it at a busy moment is easy to lift from.

Test the card reader and your mobile signal on site before you open, not at nine in the morning with a queue forming. Carry enough cash float to keep trading if the connection drops.

Which printed materials will make my outdoor stand easier to notice?

Summary: on a crowded street you get one prominent brand sign, one clear product message and readable prices. Anything beyond that becomes clutter that people walk past.

The common mistake is too much text at too small a size. Set your main sign so it reads from across the street, keep the product message to a few words, and make prices legible without anyone leaning in.

Item	Job it does	Worth knowing
Outdoor banner	Your main brand sign, front or back of the stall	Size it to the pitch you have been allocated and specify eyelets for secure fixing
Mesh banner	Large-format branding on an exposed or windy frontage	Wind passes through the mesh instead of pulling on the fixings
Corri board signs	Price lists, menus, directional messages	Rigid, light and weather resistant, so easy to move as the crowd shifts
A-frame pavement sign	Pulls passing footfall in from either direction	Only where the organisers permit it; never place one where it blocks the footpath

Work backwards from 10 August when you order. Confirm your pitch measurements first, because a banner sized for a pitch you did not get is money wasted. Approve artwork early, proof every date and price line twice, then leave a comfortable window for printing and delivery so nothing is still in transit while you are driving to Kerry. We check artwork before it goes to print and will flag anything that will not hold up outdoors.

How should I plan for set-up, pack-down and Irish weather?

Summary: confirm your access times with the organisers, arrive earlier than you think you need to, and build the stand so it can take rain and wind without anyone holding it down.

Vehicle access, unloading windows, road closures, parking and the deadline for clearing vehicles out of the trading area are all set by the organisers, and they can change with the parade route. Get them confirmed in writing and plan your arrival around the earliest one. On arrival, photograph your pitch before you build, check the ground conditions and any power supply, and see what your neighbours are putting up before you commit to a layout.

The weather checklist for an August street pitch in Kerry:

Waterproof lidded boxes for all stock, plus clear covers for anything on open display
Weighted bases on flags and free-standing signs, never improvised weights that can shift or trip someone
Cable covers over every lead crossing a walkway
Towels, clips and cable ties for the things you did not expect to get wet
A branded gazebo or cover, if the organisers allow one at your pitch, properly anchored
Layered, waterproof clothing for everyone working the stall

Wind does more damage than rain. Keep displays low, secure lightweight print at every fixing point rather than just the top two, and take anything down that is straining rather than waiting to see if it holds. All structures and signage must follow the organiser's safety rules, so check before you build anything tall.

End each day the same way: secure or remove stock, put devices on charge, bag and dispose of waste properly, count takings, check the next day's forecast, and follow whatever the organisers have told you about leaving equipment on site overnight.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next Puck Fair and what are the dates?

Puck Fair is held on 10 to 12 August inclusive every year in Killorglin, County Kerry, so the next festival runs 10 to 12 August 2027. The dates stay the same annually rather than moving to a weekend.

What is Puck Fair?

It is a three-day traditional fair in Killorglin built around the crowning of a wild male goat as King Puck. Gathering Day brings the coronation, the parade and the horse fair, Fair Day holds the cattle fair under a charter granted in 1613, and Scattering Day ends with King Puck dethroned and a midnight fireworks display.

Do I need insurance, permits or a card payment facility?

Check the current trader terms with the organisers before you book. Ask specifically about public liability insurance, trader documentation, food permits, and electrical or gas certification if you are cooking or using appliances. Casual trading licence requirements should be confirmed with Kerry County Council. Card acceptance may not be compulsory, but offering both card and cash reduces lost sales when someone has no notes on them.

What footfall and customer demand can exhibitors expect?

Killorglin's streets are genuinely crowded across the three days. We will not put a visitor number on it, because the organisers do not publish one. Passing footfall is not the same as sales either: your results will vary with pitch location, weather, the programme running near you, how relevant your product is to a festival crowd and how clearly your prices are displayed.

Is exhibiting at Puck Fair worth the cost for a small business?

Do the sums before you apply. Add the pitch fee, travel, accommodation in Kerry in August, staffing, stock and print, then set that against a realistic sales target and a lead-generation goal such as email sign-ups or follow-up orders. Brand exposure and online orders afterwards have real value, particularly if every flyer and label carries your website, but no one can promise you a return on three days of street trading.

Ready to get your Puck Fair stand print sorted?

Measure your pitch as soon as the committee confirms it, then order the print that matches the space you actually have. For most Killorglin stalls that means:

One outdoor or mesh banner as the main brand sign
Corri board price lists and directional signs
A printed tablecloth to tidy up the front of the stall

Talk to us early and we will check your artwork, recommend materials that hold up in Kerry weather and plan delivery so everything is with you before you travel. Get in touch for a quote with your pitch dimensions and we will price the job properly.

The Ultimate Puck Fair Stand Checklist: Your Complete Guide to Ireland’s Oldest Festival