The Huntly Hairst is an annual festival celebrating the food and local traditions of Aberdeenshire. It takes the form of an extended Farmers' Market, occupying the town square, central streets and the new Number 30 building, with over 50 stalls showcasing the best local produce and crafts. There are cookery demonstrations and competitions, including The World Stovies Championship, Huntly's Room to Run race and even more events throughout the week. Check out the Hairst website for full details of the festival, and see below for our 2024 programme for Hairst week and the day itself! All events are free and open to all.

Our programme

Hairst Week

Monday 2nd September, 6-8pm, Square Deal

Hairst Food Chain: Scone Masterclass with the Market CaféBrush up on your baking skills and get inspired to enter the Hairst Scone Competition 2024, as competition judges from the Market Café share their tips and tricks for the perfect scone. Get creative with different sweet and savoury flavour ideas. and learn the secrets of scone perfection before tucking in to your efforts, alongside hot soup. Free, booking required - email misa@deveron-projects.com to book a space, and with any questions or access requirements,

Friday 6th September, 1-2pm, Square Deal

Hairst Friday Lunch: Moray Beekeepers AssociationOur regular community lunch and talk has a Hairst focus in September, as we learn about local food production and biodiversity with Jennifer Bressers-Stewart from the Moray Beekeepers Association.Free and drop in, with vegetarian lunch provided.

Hairst Day

Saturday 7th September 2024, 9am-4pmSquare Deal10am-4pm                                  Art Road Trip - highlights from our project with the National GalleryMissed out on the National Gallery's visit to Huntly in August? Don't worry - we're revisiting the project for the Huntly Hairst! Drop in to Square Deal to pick up a map of the town-wide school's exhibition, or get involved with free creative activities with local artists, as we add to our 3D installation of Huntly landscapes. The Brander Gardenall day                                         Garden CaféDrop in to the garden for a free herbal tea, and browse through copies of our new Care Plan for the garden. You're welcome to bring food from the market to enjoy in the garden too. 10:30am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pmJoin a garden tour with gardener Lindy Young, reflecting on the Caretaker's Garden project and the Care Plan written as a guide to looking after the Brander Garden. 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm        Daub the willow shelter with Huntly TOADS and artist Susie DaltonLearn about the traditional building technique of wattle and daub with Huntly TOADS and artist Susie Dalton, and get messy with clay as we add daub to our willow wattle shelter. 12pm-1pm and 2pm-3pm         Wildlife count with North East Scotland Biodiversity PartnershipFind out what kinds of wildlife are in the Brander Garden, and help us measure the types of pollinators, insects and bugs living in our wildflower meadow. Learn about the North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership, and how you can get involved with their work to protect nature and biodiversity locally. 10am-4pm                                   Garden portraits with artist Timothea ArmourJoin artist Timothea Armour for a drop-in drawing session, where you can create portraits of the different creatures in the Brander Garden and take a look around our greenhouse gallery. Square Deal Gardenall day                                          Quiet SpaceTake a breather from the hustle and bustle of the Hairst - head down the pend to our garden at the back of Square Deal, open all day as a quiet space.