Ripon - Heart

St Wilfrid's Procession

Date:
Sat 1 Aug 2026 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM

About 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.

More like this

The Bootleg Beatles
Harrogate - Heart

The Bootleg Beatles - The Royal Hall

3 Oct 26

Relive the sights and sounds of the 60s with the most established Beatles…

Teach Rex
Skipton - Dales

Teach Rex - Skipton Town Hall

1 Apr 26

Teach Rex uses life-like dinosaurs to perform their 1 hour show, teaching…

Valentines Boat Trip
Skipton - Dales

Valentines Boat Trip - Pennine Cruisers

14 Feb 26

An hour trip on our beautiful Tom boat including a glass of Fizz…

Hilarity Bites Comedy Club ft. Mick Ferry & Sean Moran
Ripon - Heart

Hilarity Bites Comedy Club ft. Mick Ferry & Sean…

3 Feb 26

Mick Ferry - 2013 Comedian's Comedian of the Year. As seen on Michael…

Stay up to date

Sign up to receive North Yorkshire inspiration direct to your inbox

A woman looks out over the Yorkshire Dales