St Wilfrid's Procession

The St Wilfrid’s Procession is one of the United Kingdom’s oldest regularly held events and dates back to 1108 when King Henry 1st granted a charter to the City of Ripon to host a fayre and feast to celebrate the birth and life of St Wilfrid, the founder of Ripon Cathedral and patron saint of the city.

Traditionally held on the first Saturday in August each summer, the event has evolved from a simple horse led procession with a few pilgrims to a well-attended carnival like parade of brightly decorated lorries, marching bands, traditional dancers and even the occasional mobile live theatre performance.

For hundreds of years, the route the procession takes as it snakes its way through the ancient streets of Ripon in North Yorkshire has barely changed other than the occasional shortcut or diversion due to road layout changes.

As a result, the procession offers a unique experience for spectators and entrants alike with past events attracting close to 50,000 people who crowd the streets and generate a carnival-like atmosphere across the city.