With over half of England’s population just a short drive away, the Derbyshire Dales buzzes with family-friendly events all summer long. Here’s a list of what’s coming up in July and August 2025.
Bakewell Country Festival
Date: Monday 14 July 2025
Spend a summer’s day at the Bakewell Showground, where prize-winning livestock and gleaming vintage tractors sit alongside craft marquees, children’s fairground rides and live music stages. Sample farm-fresh fare and local ales as you explore the paddocks.
Wirksworth Farmers’ Market
Date: Saturday 5 July 2025, 9 am–2 pm
Under the shade of ancient trees in Memorial Gardens, more than fifty stalls offer Derbyshire cheeses, freshly baked breads, charcuterie, homemade preserves, street-food vendors and artisanal crafts—ideal for a leisurely Saturday morning.
Matlock Well Dressing
Date: Sunday 6 – Saturday 12 July 2025
Stroll through Upper Gardens and Princess Diana Gardens to admire elaborate clay panels adorned with petals, bark and seeds. Each design is handcrafted by local volunteers to celebrate the area’s precious water springs.
Pilsley Well Dressing
Date: Thursday 17 – Thursday 24 July 2025
In this quaint village just outside Bakewell, residents spend a week assembling floral mosaics on wooden boards, then display them around the historic village well—an intimate glimpse of Derbyshire’s folk-art heritage.
Rock ’N’ Blues Festival
Date: Thursday 24 – Saturday 26 July 2025
Head into the heart of the Peak District for three nights of foot-stomping blues and rock under open skies. Alongside top-line acts, you’ll find local food trucks, craft ales and a chill-out meadow perfect for picnics and late-night jams.
Stoney Middleton Well Dressing Week
Date: Saturday 26 July – Sunday 3 August 2025
Nine days of community fun around the village well: watch boat races on the brook, take on the fell-running challenge, relax in pop-up tea tents, spot crafty scarecrows and enjoy live folk music in the old chapel.
Y Not Festival
Date: Thursday 31 July – Sunday 3 August 2025
This multi-day festival at Pikehall brings big-name bands, emerging artists and comedy acts to a scenic valley site. Highlights include paint-fight arenas, carnival parades, street-food stalls and hands-on workshops.
Cromford Steam Rally
Date: Sunday 3 – Monday 4 August 2025
A must for steam enthusiasts: traction engines, vintage cars and live-steam demonstrations fill Cromford Showground. Little ones can even enjoy a ride on the miniature steam train.
Derbyshire Dales Goes Green
Date: Saturday 16 August 2025
A one-day eco fair in Wirksworth featuring upcycled crafts, interactive renewable-energy displays, green-living workshops and creative eco-art activities for children.
Peak District Highland Games
Date: Sunday 25 August 2025
At Matlock Farm Park, athletes compete in caber-toss, stone-put and tractor-pull events, while Highland dancers and pipers add Scottish flair to the village green.
Chatsworth Country Fair
Date: Friday 30 August – Sunday 1 September 2025
Three days of countryside spectacle at Chatsworth: showjumping in the Grand Ring, cookery demos, craft and produce marquees, vintage fairground rides and adventure zones for the kids.
Where to Stay
From LuxuryHolidayHomesDerbyshire.co.uk
- The Haven
Perfect for groups, this five-bed, ten-sleeper home near Matlock includes en-suite bedrooms, a games room (pool table, darts), sheltered hot tub, BBQ terrace, garden seating for ten, EV charging and parking for up to five cars. - Brookside Retreat
An intimate one-bedroom stone cottage in the Derbyshire Dales, ideal for couples. It combines traditional Derbyshire character—exposed beams, underfloor heating—with modern comforts like on-site electric-car charging and a peaceful riverside patio. - Two Owls Lodge
Nestled on the fringe of Two Dales (Matlock), this cosy two-bed, three-sleep holiday cottage in the Peak District, sits amid woodland glades. Enjoy valley views, a cosy wood-burner and direct access to waymarked walking trails.
From DerbyshireHolidayHomes.co.uk
- The Escape
A converted courtyard house near Bakewell, this spacious five-bedroom holiday retreat sleeps up to ten near Matlock Derbyshire. It features a secluded hot tub, indoor games room (table tennis, board games) and private parking for four cars.
