For nearly two centuries, the community of Hunslet in South Leeds has gathered annually to celebrate its local identity. While the name has changed—from the Hunslet Feast of the Victorian era to the Hunslet Gala and, most recently, the Hunslet Festival—the spirit of the event has remained a constant thread through the area’s industrial rise, decline, and regeneration.

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The Hunslet Feast: The Golden Era (1800s – 1953)

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The event began as the Hunslet Feast, a traditional wake or fair held annually around the first weekend of August. In the mid-19th century, this was the highlight of the year for the working-class families of Hunslet, often marking the only significant holiday they would take.

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• The Penny Hill Era: Originally, the Feast was held at Penny Hill, near the site of St Mary’s Church. It was a bustling sensory overload of "dreadful dramas" (travelling theatre shows), Punch and Judy, and stalls selling brandy snaps, nuts, and gingerbread.

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• Feast Traditions: Local historians note a specific culinary tradition: Hunslet families would scour their homes to "clean down for t’feast," often eating a cheap meal of liver and onions beforehand so they could afford to "put on a spread" during the fair itself.

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• The Move to the Moor (1888): As Hunslet’s population exploded during the industrial revolution, the event outgrew the streets. In 1888, the Feast moved to Hunslet Moor. At this time, the Moor was not green grass but a surface of boiler ash (clinker), surrounded by the heavy industry that made Hunslet the "workshop of Leeds".

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For over 60 years, the Hunslet Moor Feast was a massive fixture, featuring large mechanical steam rides, roundabouts, and swing boats that drew crowds from across the city.

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The Transition Years (1954 – 2000s)

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The landscape of Hunslet changed drastically in the post-war period, and the Feast was forced to adapt.

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• Leaving the Moor: In 1953, Leeds Council decided to landscape Hunslet Moor, converting the rough ash surface into formal grassland and flowerbeds. The heavy fairground equipment could no longer be supported on the new grass, forcing the event to move again.

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• The Parkside Era: From 1954, the event was relocated to the car park next to the Hunslet RLFC ground at Parkside. While it continued, the loss of the open Moor marked the end of the "classic" Feast era.

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• Decline and Shift: Over the following decades, as Hunslet underwent massive slum clearances and de-industrialisation, the continuity of the original Feast was broken. However, smaller church galas (specifically centred around St Mary’s) kept the tradition of a summer community gathering alive.

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The Hunslet Gala (2003 – 2023)

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In the early 21st century, the event was revived and formalised as the Hunslet Community Gala.

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• A New Home: Moving away from the heavy fairground focus of the past, the new Gala found a home on the Grove Road Recreation Ground.

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• Community Focus: The first modern "Community Gala" is generally cited as starting in June 2003. It shifted focus from commercial rides to community cohesion, featuring dance troupes, local charities, amateur rugby showcases, and a parade that often included local schools and the Hunslet Club.

 

The Hunslet Festival (2024 – Present)

Most recently, the event has undergone another evolution. In June 2024, organisers rebranded the event as the Hunslet Festival.

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Designed to revitalise the gathering for a new generation, the "Festival" format introduced new attractions like climbing walls, circus skills workshops, and interactive art areas, while retaining the classic fairground rides and food stalls.

 

Despite the name change, the event continues to serve the same purpose it did in 1850: providing a space for the people of LS10 to come together and celebrate their shared history.