The May Fayre is always held on the second Sunday in May (on or near the date of Punch's birthday). We celebrate Punch's birthday on May 9th since Samuel Pepys first saw Mr Punch in England on 9 May 1662 and recorded the fact in his diary.

COVENT GARDEN MAY FAYRE AND PUPPET FESTIVAL SUNDAY 12 MAY 2013 ST PAUL’S CHURCH GARDEN, BEDFORD STREET, WC2 Dear Friends We have great pleasure in inviting you to attend the 38th Annual Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival to be held this year on Sunday 12 May 2013 to celebrate Mr Punch's 351st birthday near the very spot that Samuel Pepys first saw Mr Punch in England in May 1662. The May Fayre will take place in the garden of St Paul’s Church, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2. The day will start with a Grand Procession at 11am led by the Superior Brass Band, followed by the Special Church Service at 12noon, and performances until 5.30pm. We are hoping for lots of sun and friendly crowds again this year. Pitches will be allocated on a first come first served basis and you may give as many performances as you wish during the day - bring a bottler! All kinds of puppeteers and performers are welcome. The Church continues to charge us £300 to use their premises, so any help you can give us towards this would be greatly appreciated. Please write to us as soon as possible and let us know if you can come so that we know how many Puppeteers and Professors to cater for. We will try to make a contribution towards the UK traveling expenses of all those who actually perform, and provide you with refreshments during the day. Please note that we cannot pay for any overnight accommodation or travel from abroad. Also please remember that if you intend to sell any items this must be done at the side of your booth, not in front, and that the things you sell must be puppet-related. We do not expect to pay travel expenses to those actually selling goods. The Festival is to celebrate the Art of Puppetry. It is entirely run by volunteers and is not a commercial enterprise. Please note that the cost of sending out letters by post is becoming prohibitive so we are only sending this invitation by email unless we do not have your email address. We are looking forward to seeing you all again at 38th annual gathering, and we hope to hear from you very soon. With best wishes from Maggie Pinhorn, Amy Dyke-Coomes and the May Fayre Committee. Please reply to The May Fayre Committee c/o Alternative Arts,Top Studio, Montefiore Centre, Hanbury St, E1 5HZ Tel 020 7375 0441 / Fax 020 7375 0484 email info@alternativearts.co.uk.