Lé Viaer Marchi (Guernésiais: the old market) is an annual community festival held in Guernsey, generally on the first Monday of July.
01 · What it is
Living Tradition
Documented cultural tradition on record; family classification awaits an editor.
02 · Where & name
Geography awaiting source
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03 · How it is doing
□□□□ (Not yet assessed)
Documented in open cultural records, but no cited field assessment of its current vitality has been added here yet.
04 · Proof & reuse
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Chapter Takeaways
Purpose and organisationLé Viaer Marchi is both a cultural show event, and the most important fundraising event for the National Trust of Guernsey.
HistoryThe regular reenactment of a market fair was begun in 1969 by Peggy Carey, later an MBE, who, with four friends, had in 1960 founded the National Trust of Guernsey.
StructureThe fair showcases local craftsmanship in Guernsey's history and includes displays showing the way in which Guernseymen and women used to live.
Common Questions Answered on Record
What is Viaer Marchi in plain words?
Lé Viaer Marchi (Guernésiais: the old market) is an annual community festival held in Guernsey, generally on the first Monday of July.
Where is Viaer Marchi practised or documented?
No verified geographic place has been linked on record yet — editors can add a cited place from the edit page.
What is the current condition of Viaer Marchi today?
□□□□ (Not yet assessed): Documented in open cultural records, but no cited field assessment of its current vitality has been added here yet.
How do I cite or share this Viaer Marchi entry?
Cite as: "Viaer Marchi." folkroom, https://folkroom.org/art-forms/viaer-marchi, text CC BY-SA, with attribution.
Lé Viaer Marchi (Guernésiais: the old market) is an annual community festival held in Guernsey, generally on the first Monday of July. 1
Purpose and organisation
Lé Viaer Marchi is both a cultural show event, and the most important fundraising event for the National Trust of Guernsey. Organised by a committee within the National Trust and generally run on the first Monday each July, it is a re-enactment of a 1900s market fair, complete with cultural aspects. 1
History
The regular reenactment of a market fair was begun in 1969 by Peggy Carey, later an MBE, who, with four friends, had in 1960 founded the National Trust of Guernsey. From the beginning known as Viaer Marchi or old market, the first event took place in the courtyard of the Guernsey Folk Museum in Saumarez Park, and it is still generally held within the park. As of 2019, for the 50th anniversary, the organising committee was headed by the founder's grandson, Andrew Carey.
It was deferred in 2012 due to a royal visit and cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 1
Structure
The fair showcases local craftsmanship in Guernsey's history and includes displays showing the way in which Guernseymen and women used to live. Delicacies and traditional foods and drinks are served, with Guernsey Bean Jar being one of the most popular, along with Guernsey Gâche (a type of fruit bread), honey, butter and both mead and cider. There is also a selection of activities for children. There are stalls set up for various bric-a-brac. Craftwork sold includes woodwork and lace. Entertainment includes traditional dancing, bands performing local folk music, street entertainers, and sometimes Punch and Judy shows.
Typically the show attracts around 6,000 visitors, between locals and tourists. 1
The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Viaer Marchi”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. 1
Viaer Marchi is annual market fair reenactment in Guernsey, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. 2
The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. 2