Ashford Food and Drink Festival Returns for Third Year on 27 June 2026

The post above, shared by @sojanuk, puts it plainly enough: fresh artisan produce, street food, a full day in town. And that’s essentially what you get.

What’s Actually On

The Saturday programme is fairly broad. Kent-based and local producers on the stalls all day, live street theatre, music, cooking demonstrations running throughout. For families, there’s a Cardboard Kitchen and Cardboard Café concept — designed, one assumes, to stop children from simply eating everything within reach while their parents browse. There’s also the Great Ashford Sandwich Competition and the Great Sarnie Trail, which gives the whole thing a bit of competitive edge beyond just shopping and grazing.

But the event doesn’t start on Saturday. The Friday evening before the main festival sees a related preview — “An Evening with Wine Garden of England” — timed to sit within English Wine Week and shining a light on Kent’s vineyards and the county’s quietly growing reputation as serious English wine country. Neat positioning, that.

The Economic Case Behind the Fun

The council frames this as more than a nice day out. Love Ashford promotes the festival as a footfall driver for local shops, cafés, restaurants, and hospitality businesses — the kind of town centre activity that gives people a reason to show up and, crucially, spend money while they’re there. For smaller Kent producers without a permanent retail presence, a high-profile pitch in a central, accessible location is genuinely useful.

No official figures on projected attendance, trader numbers, or economic impact have been published. Claims about commercial value remain unverified. But the council’s continued investment, now into a third year, suggests they reckon it’s working.

Getting There

Ashford International and Ashford town station are both an easy walk from the High Street. Drivers will most likely come off the M20. Once you’re in the town centre, the whole festival is on foot — it’s a walkable stretch, nothing strenuous.

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Key Takeaways

• The Ashford Food and Drink Festival takes place on Saturday 27 June 2026, 10am to 7pm, across Ashford town centre from the High Street to Elwick Place — and appears to be free to attend.
• Now in its third year, the festival features artisan stalls, street food, live music, cooking demonstrations, and family activities including the Great Ashford Sandwich Competition.
• A related preview event, “An Evening with Wine Garden of England”, takes place on the Friday evening before the main festival, timed to align with English Wine Week.

What This Means for Kent Residents

There’s a free day out on offer in Ashford on 27 June 2026 — nine hours of food, drink, and live entertainment in the town centre, with the event running until 7pm so there’s no need to rush. Local producers get direct access to a big public audience, which matters particularly for smaller artisan businesses that don’t have a shop front. Train’s your best bet if you’re coming from elsewhere in Kent, but the M20 gets you there easily enough if you’re driving.