Adult entry stays £10, under-12s free, at Carshalton Park on Monday 31 August, 10.30am to 8pm. Two free bus routes run every 30 minutes; a third has been cut.
The Carshalton EcoFair returns to Carshalton Park on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August, running from 10.30am to 8pm. Adults pay £10, under-12s go free, and the organisers say prices have not risen this year. (EcoLocal)
Two free electric bus routes will run into the park every 30 minutes. A third has been dropped. “Please note that we are not able to run the route previously known as Route A due to financial constraints,” the charity says in this year’s published timetable. (EcoFair bus timetable, PDF)
The fair is run entirely by volunteers and raises money for EcoLocal, the Carshalton environmental charity behind the Secret Walled Garden, community food growing and inclusive cycling for disabled people.
What is on
The site is at Carshalton Park, Ruskin Road, SM5 3DD. The organisers list:
- three solar-powered music stages, with a main stage set in the park’s natural open air bowl
- more than 120 stalls, from environmental groups and local charities to crafts and food producers
- a food village with hot and cold food, and vegetarian and vegan options
- a licensed bar
- children’s activities including face painting, circus skills, mosaic workshops, clay imprinting and a treasure hunt
- a health and wellbeing area, demonstrations and local artists
Everyone performing on the three stages is a volunteer, as is everyone running the event. (EcoLocal FAQs)
What it costs
There is no advance booking. These are the admission prices EcoLocal has published for 2026:
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Children under 12 | Free |
| Young people 12 to 17 | £8 |
| Adults 18 and over | £10 |
| Adults on low income | £8 |
| One adult and two or three young people | £24 |
| Two adults and two or three young people | £32 |
Getting there, and the parking warning
The single most useful line on the organisers’ travel page is the one about cars: “there is no parking on site for fair visitors.” Surrounding roads will have parking restrictions in place on the day. There is a limited amount of parking on site for blue badge holders, along with a disabled access toilet. (How to get to the EcoFair)
The two free electric bus routes are the alternative, and both are circular, returning to Carshalton Park.
Route B covers the east of the borough. It calls at:
- Carshalton station, North Street
- Carshalton College, Nightingale Road
- Hackbridge Corner
- Wallington Green, Croydon Road
- Beddington, Plough Lane
- Stafford Road at Sandy Lane South
- Wallington, Stafford Road at Woodcote Road
- Boundary Corner
The first bus of the day picks up at Carshalton College at 10.01am. The last full circuit leaves the park at 7.26pm, with a final run at 8.10pm.
Route C covers the west. It calls at:
- Sutton Common Road, by Glenthorne High School
- Stonecot Hill
- North Cheam, London Road
- Worcester Park station
- North Cheam, Queen Victoria
- Cheam Village
- Cheam Road at Gander Green Lane
- Sutton police station
Route C runs non-stop between Carshalton Park and Sutton Common Road. It is also non-stop from North Cheam out to Worcester Park station, picking up and setting down on the way back. The last circuit leaves the park at 7.30pm, with a final run at 8.10pm.
Both routes run every 30 minutes through the day. The organisers say all stops on the routes are served, not only those printed in the timetable.
If you would rather use the scheduled network, the 127, 157, 407 and SL7 all stop on Carshalton High Street. The 151, 154 and 410 pass nearby. Carshalton and Carshalton Beeches stations are a 5 to 10 minute walk from the park, and Wallington is about 15 minutes. Our guide to trains from Sutton into London sets out the services on those lines, and the Sutton roadworks and travel page has the closures in force that week.
On dogs, the organisers would prefer you left yours at home, because a crowded field is difficult for children and adults who are frightened of them. If you do bring a dog it must be on a short lead. Guide dogs are welcome. (Dogs policy)
Where the admission money goes
EcoLocal says the fair costs more than £27,000 a year to stage, even though nobody is paid to run it. That money goes on stages, sound equipment, fencing, toilets, first aid and insurance. Any surplus is spent on the charity’s year-round work, which it lists as inclusive cycling for disabled people, eco-wellbeing sessions for older people, community food growing, environmental education and nature conservation.
The charity has been working in the borough for almost forty years. It is the working name of the Centre for Environmental Initiatives, registered charity number 1087782.
What it means for you
If you are going, the practical decisions are parking and money. Do not drive to Carshalton Park: there is nowhere to leave a car, and the restrictions on nearby streets are being put in place for the day. Use one of the two free buses, walk from Carshalton or Carshalton Beeches, or come by bike.
Take cash as well as a card. The fair is a charity fundraiser with donation buckets around the site, and independent stallholders vary in what they accept.
If you run a group, a stall or a small business, this is one of the few days in the year when thousands of local people are in one field. EcoLocal recruits stallholders and volunteers for it all year round.
If you are not going, the parking restrictions still matter if you live near the park, and the roads around Ruskin Road will be busier than usual from mid-morning.
Sources
- Carshalton EcoFair 2026, EcoLocal for the date, times, admission prices and what is on.
- EcoFair free bus timetable 2026 (PDF), EcoLocal and the route map (PDF) for the free bus routes, stops and times.
- How to get to the EcoFair, EcoLocal for parking, rail and scheduled bus routes.
- EcoFair frequently asked questions, EcoLocal for the costs of staging the event and where the money goes.
- Children’s activities, EcoLocal for the list of things for younger visitors.
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