Daventry Foodies Market and Free Heritage Bus Rides Return to the Town Centre
Right, mark this one in the diary now before it slips past you. On Saturday 12 September, Daventry town centre is hosting two free events on the same day — the Daventry Foodies Market and a fleet of free heritage bus rides — both running from 10am to 3pm.
Daventry Foodies Market
The market takes over the High Street, Bowen Square, Foundry Walk and Sheaf Street with a mix of artisan stalls selling everything from street food and sweet treats to foodie gifts and kitchenware. Expect stalls selling cheeses, cured meats, home-baked treats, chutneys, jams and plenty more, alongside options for vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free diets.
There’s free family entertainment running throughout the day too, including a face painter, balloon modeller, stilt walker, a town trail, live music and food-themed crafts. Entry to the market and all the activities is free.
Free Heritage Bus Rides
Over at Market Square, Northampton Transport Heritage are bringing their vintage buses to town for free rides along retro routes around Daventry and the surrounding villages, as part of Heritage Open Days. You can hop on and off as many times as you like, and there’s a souvenir programme available to buy on the day, with funds going towards the upkeep of the historic vehicles.
Worth knowing before you go: most of the heritage buses have steps at the entrance and can’t accommodate wheelchairs, buggies or prams. There are four dedicated SEND journeys at 10:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm and 3:30pm, which run at a calmer pace with fewer passengers. Tickets for these are first come, first served — collect one from the information point near the Burton Memorial at the top of the High Street.
Daventry Museum will also be open on the day with a pop-up themed exhibition, so it’s easy to turn this into a longer visit.
Getting There and Parking
Free car parks are dotted around the town, though it’s worth checking the signage for any time restrictions. The High Street, Market Square, Church Walk and Sheaf Street will have road closures in place for the day, so allow a little extra time if you’re driving in. There’s also a free X1 bus service running in from Northampton, with connections from Long Buckby and other surrounding villages.
Both events are funded and organised by Daventry Town Council for the local community, so it really is a free day out from start to finish. If you’re after more free and low-cost days out across the county, take a look at my guide to things to do in Northamptonshire for families, and if you’d like events like this landing in your inbox each week, my weekly what’s on newsletter is the easiest way to keep track.
