A little bit of rus-in-urbe comes to Brockwell Park this weekend, with the 38th annual Lambeth Country Show. The popular festival, gaining almost 200,000 visits last year, combines two music stages with food stalls and traditional country show attractions.
Take part in the flower and vegetable competitions, stoke a steam engine, or pet the farm animals; see how a sheep dog does its thing, then watch other talented canines jump through hoops of fire and ride bikes. Also, horse jousting!
It almost didn't happen. Lambeth Council, blaming the Olympics for draining police and other resources, announced the show's cancellation earlier this year. A subsequent campaign by Brixton Blog and others demonstrated the importance of the Show to local people. To its credit, the council listened and reversed its decision, shifting the Show from its usual July dates to mid-September.
Lambeth Country Show takes place in Brockwell Park on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 September from 11am-6pm. Entrance is free.
Image: a wonderful bit of vegetable art at the 2006 show by Mondoagogo in the Londonist Flickr pool.
