Two events to keep the celebration going whilst the Rushbearing rests
There is good news for Littleborough this summer. While the Rushbearing Festival takes a year off for its much-loved rushcart to be repaired, two new events are stepping in to keep the celebration going, giving the village not one but two chances to come together and enjoy the very best of our folk traditions.
Revived in 1991, the Rushbearing Festival has long been a highlight of the Littleborough calendar, co-organised in recent years by LEAF (Littleborough Events and Associations Forum) and a local folk group, most recently Oakenhoof Folk Arts. The day traditionally saw the rushcart hauled through the village, with stops along the way for morris dancing, before the procession made its way to Hare Hill Park. There, LEAF hosted a packed programme of stalls, music, and the ever-popular Viking performance.
In 2025, the festival faced a couple of practical hurdles. The rushcart itself became damaged, and challenges around volunteer capacity meant that Oakenhoof were no longer able to take on the cart side of the event. Rather than let the summer pass quietly, the community has rallied to put on something special in its place.
Oakenhoof have handed responsibility for the cart over to Littleborough Arts Festival, whose trustees are now in the process of raising the funds needed to restore it. Volunteers hope to bring the rushcart processional back through the village next year. In the meantime, two brilliant events are stepping up to keep the celebrations going.
A folky day at The Moorcock: Saturday 4 July
While the cart is being repaired, the Littleborough Arts Festival trustees have teamed up with local dance side Blackstone Edge Rapper to put on a day of folk music and dance at The Moorcock. Expect morris dancers, the fast-paced flashing steel of rapper sword dancing, the rhythm of clog dancing, and informal folk music and song, all making for plenty of general folky fun in the pub's expansive beer garden. With any luck the weather will be kind, because this one is all set to take place outdoors. It promises to be a relaxed and joyful afternoon at one of Littleborough's loveliest pubs.
Love Littleborough: Saturday 25 July
LEAF, meanwhile, are taking the much-loved park celebrations and reshaping them into a brand new festival. Love Littleborough will land in Hare Hill Park on Saturday 25 July, bringing together much of what made Rushbearing so special: stalls, music, and, of course, the Vikings. More details are still to come, so keep an eye out, but it is already shaping up to be a fantastic day out for all the family.
Free for everyone, and powered by volunteers
The best news of all is that both events are completely free for the public to attend. Two days of music, dancing, community spirit and celebration, and not a penny needed at the gate.
None of this would be possible without the dedicated volunteers who give their time to make Littleborough such a vibrant place to live. If you would like to be part of it, LEAF would love to hear from you about getting involved. And if you fancy trying your hand at something a little different, Blackstone Edge Rapper are on the lookout for new dancers too.
So while the rushcart takes a well-earned rest and repair, the folk spirit behind it is very much alive. The Rushbearing will be back, and until it returns, Littleborough has two cracking events to enjoy this summer.